Fate: At The End of Dreams
by Thel
Summary: Daniel's encounters with Nem's memory machine may have brought more than Daniel's memories to the surface. Could the team be losing Daniel to Nem’s past? Daniel is determined to find Omoroca and the truth of the creation myths. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Fate: At the End of Dreams

AUTHOR: Thel  
EMAIL: Please. Here, or by email. : )  
CATEGORY: Drama, Angst… a little bit of AU, but not really. /wink  
SPOILERS: Anything up to Fire and Water, but primarily F&W  
SEASON / SEQUEL: Season 1  
RATING: PG13 for some violence  
SUMMARY: Daniel is not the same after his encounter with Nem… could the team be losing Daniel to Nem's past?  
STATUS: Complete

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bear with me, the notes are longer than the story! I've actually done a fair bit of research in this, and most… probably _all_ of the names are from Babylonian (and other) myths. Most of the Tiamat/Omoroca story comes directly from the Enuma Elish (including some of the dialogue), and I've filled in some of the missing bits. Consider this a missing scene for the Enuma Elish, as well as a tag for F&W. Also… one note about blue-eyed albinos. I knew a family with four kids who were 'albinos'. Two had pink eyes and two had blue eyes and all four lacked pigment everywhere else. Maybe 'albinism' is not the correct medical description for blue-eyes, but I'm basing it on people I've known and what they told me. They could be lying. :o Big note is that this is two stories combined in one. The original was titled 'Fate' and the second was, obviously, "At the End of Dreams'.

THANKS TO: Pettygrew (big time!) for being my long-suffering beta for this, and allowing me to ramble aimlessly via email. That rambling really helped me get a grip on the story. Thanks to Tiv'ester for pointing out the areas that needed fleshing out, and helping me avoid some of my assumptions. Thanks to CarolS for pointing out some good scenes to see to get a handle on the characters and for her comments on the character interactions (and some advice on how to avoid making Emma a Mary-Sue… even though I didn't listen and she was… but now she's gone). As always, anything you don't like, I probably ignored their advice about it and posted without changes. smile Thanks as well to Kathy and Arren who gave Pettygrew the medical information that allowed this fic to sound a lot better than the original 'blah, blah, big words here…' that it originally read. : ) And a large, large thanks to those readers on who kept up with the story and pushed my on, even when I thought I'd walk away with it. Thank you very much.

10/25/06 – This is the final edit. Thank you so much for all your support. Some quick facts before we start:

This story was first published in two parts. _Fate_ (revised Dec 22, 2002) and _At the End of Dreams_ (first posted June 16, 2003). The combined and edited final version clocks in at 400 pages even, encompassing 153,500 words. The original has a combined 40,000 hits, across all chapters, for an average of 4,000 a chapter (give or take). The most popular chapter (most hits) for most of the posting history was the scene in the morgue, you'll know it when you get there, you grim and morbid people. :o And the final and most important fact is that this story earned me the friendship of Pettygrew, so if you like nothing else about it, I hope you appreciate that I met some great folks along the way and that's really what it's all about!

- - - - -

He groaned softly, gasping at phantom pains.

_What… fate… Omoroca?_

"No…" He whispered, trying to still the rasping voice in his head.

_You know of Babylon._

"It was so long ago." He pleaded. "So much is lost. No one knows. Please… let me go. My friends…" His head shook with the effort of keeping still.

_The knowledge is there… in your mind._

"Nem. Stop, please. You're hurting me."

"Dammit, Daniel."

The archaeologist frowned as a harsh and quite obviously angry voice cut Nem off. His awareness began to return as he slowly clawed his way out of the dream.

_Omoroca feared Belus. _The voice in his head tried one last time.

"Unh. Nem." His head was held again, but not by the restraints, something else was holding him… shaking him. Now his shoulders. "Oh God!" He gasped, his back arching up at the memory and the pain. "He killed her. He killed her…"

"Daniel!" The voice was like a whip crack, startling him awake. Instinctively, he put his hands up protectively, flinching away. "Dammit." The voice was softer now, a hand softly touched his shoulder.

"Jack." He breathed, body instantly relaxing back onto the couch. He put his hands over his face as a very worried colonel leaned over him, kneeling on the floor.

"Daniel. What the hell's going on here? Are you alright?" Jack asked, concern making his voice husky. "Damn that walking squid. I shoulda…"

"No." Daniel ground out, allowing Jack to pull him into a sitting position, legs still stretched out on the comfortable couch. His eyes were shut tightly, blocking out even the dim office lights. "It's okay. Headache."

"Okay? Daniel, that looked like pain to me. What the hell was that?" Jack got to his feet as Daniel turned ninety degrees and his legs slid off the couch. The archaeologist sat up and attempted to remain vertical.

"Just a dream, Jack. I'm fine." Daniel's fingers massaged his temples.

"You said Nem was hurting you. Something you forgot to mention in your briefing?" Jack's voice had that deceptively, dangerously level tone again. Daniel risked a glance and pursed his lips. Jack was standing, arms crossed, glowering at the floor, the sofa and its resident linguist. Even looking away, Daniel could feel the weight of the older man's gaze.

"Nnnno." He said, squaring his shoulders and standing up. "I told you what happened. He used a mind probe on me. It got a little… tense near the end." Daniel licked his lips as Jack caught his gaze, and immediately looked away. "That's- That's all. You were there. I walked out under my own power. This is just a little headache." He rolled his neck, grimacing. Taking a deep breath, he squinted, heading over to his desk in search of his glasses.

Jack stepped forward, fingertips barely touching Daniel's arm. The younger man kept his eyes on the floor, almost hidden by his bangs. "What he did to you, out of ten, how was the pain?" No answer. "Daniel, come on, talk to me. I want an honest answer here. Out of ten, how bad was it?"

Daniel's arms wrapped around his chest tightly and his gaze turned to the ceiling panels. "Out of ten?" He said softly. Jack nodded. Daniel's head dropped until his chin bounced off of his chest and he gave a little laugh. "About an eleven."

His eyes were closed, so he missed Jack's dark gaze. "And now?"

Daniel sighed and rolled his neck. "Ah. Not bad. Maybe a two. Kind of an eye-strain, no food, no caffeine type of headache." His eyes jerked open as Jack's hand circled his bicep and he was dragged summarily out of his office. "Jack?"

"Food, coffee, little walk, VIP room and bed."

Daniel made a brief effort to dig in his heels, but then grinned briefly and trotted obediently along.

- - - - -

Daniel straightened up in his chair, stretching his aching back as the email program shut down. He had finally taken the plunge and emailed some non-classified historical documents on Tiamat and Apsu, or as they were known in the olden days: Omoroca and Nem. He'd sent them to a couple of people he was hoping to tap for future SGC work.

'Geeks' and scientists all, and in the first round, no archaeologists or anthropologists.

Rothman… there was another source he could tap. He hadn't yet because he wanted a non-anthropological point of view. It wasn't the myths he was having trouble with, it was the meanings. He wanted a literal aspect. Mythology often was a metaphor, a way of making inexplicable events understandable. If you stripped away the symbology, what would you be left with? Rothman was a good man, a good researcher but he lacked a certain imagination sometimes. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt.

The documents were all basic stuff he'd cobbled together from text-books, dictionaries and some internet sources. Nothing classified. He made damn sure of that. He respected the SGC too much to risk the project. He'd signed non-disclosure agreements, but that kind of thing didn't need a paper to remember-

_Remember Omoroca._

He twitched at the voice and the memory of pain. He gasped as that memory became reality. Daniel curled up, his head dropping to the top of his desk, fists clenched to his temples. This was too much. Too much.

_Knowledge. You have knowledge._

"God." He squeezed the word past gritted teeth, tilting his head from side to side on the smooth surface of the desk. "I don't know."

_And Tiamat roared… She smote... Their way was evil..._

"Evil." He clutched his hands to his head as the words flowed through his mind. "They were evil because they were Goa'uld. Tiamat knew that. The story said that she wanted to overthrow all the other gods. They were too noisy."

_The knowledge is there. In your mind._

"Too noisy." He groaned.

_What fate Omoroca?_

"Shut up." He banged his forehead softly on the desk. "Shut up, shut up, shut up…"

"Daniel Jackson?"

The sounds in his head abruptly cut off as Daniel sat bolt upright. "Teal'c." He swept back his long hair and blinked at the Jaffa.

"Are you not well, Daniel Jackson?" The big man looked down at him with well-disguised, but still appreciable, concern.

Daniel's eyes dropped to his desk. He flattened out his hands and ran them across the wooden surface. "I'm fine."

The Jaffa lifted an eyebrow. "You did not appear to be 'fine'."

"Uh… residual headache. Slept on my neck wrong." He put a hand to the back of his neck and massaged it half-heartedly. His eyes briefly touched on Teal'c and then immediately slid to the doorframe and down to the floor. "Can I help you?" He turned business-like and hoped that would get the far-too-observant Jaffa off his track.

Teal'c gave him a long silent stare. Daniel squirmed a little, darting glances at him occasionally, and rubbing his neck.

Finally Teal'c gave in. "I have brought the recordings taken by SG2 on their last mission."

Daniel perked up. "Oh great, I was looking forward to these. Thanks Teal'c." He held his hand out and took the papers and tapes, turning away and shuffling happily through them. He pointedly turned his back on the Jaffa and was relieved when Teal'c took the hint and walked away.

Daniel gave himself thirty seconds before he dropped the papers to the desk and covered his eyes with his hand. This was getting disruptive. He had to get his mind off of Omoroca… Tiamat… all of it. Omoroca was dead.

Wasn't she?

- - - - -

Daniel dreamed.

He had finally stumbled to the couch, too tired to translate a language he knew as well as English. The work kept his mind off of Omoroca and her terrible ending. He spent every spare moment thinking on it. Was there something more he could have told Nem? Did he miss something? It was only with great effort that he focused on his SGC work and once he grew too tired to focus on that, his dream caught him up and threw him back into memory.

_And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.  
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!  
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!_

Hot wind assailed his senses as he stood in the path of two great monsters. Omoroca as Tiamat rose above him. She was a great dragon, flames leaping from her fanged mouth, her body hidden by clouds of smoke and ash. Daniel fell as Tiamat took a step, her great weight making the earth heave under his feet. He shook as hot cinders fell, burning his face.

Belus stood watching. He gleamed, wrapped in his golden armour. In his hands, he held a lightning bolt. Daniel put his hand up, shielding his eyes from the glare. Belus drew back his hands and gestured. The lightning bolts flew toward the dragon, impacting her side.

Tiamat screamed, throwing her head back. Daniel was flattened to the ground by a terrible wind. He shielded his head as Belus strode forward. Tiamat shook as the gales hit her. The winds surrounded her head, driving into her throat. He watched, horrified, as the dragon's belly began to swell, distorting.

The lightning slammed in again, blinding Daniel as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died with a scream, the dragon's body crumpling in on itself. Daniel dug his fingers into the dirt trying to find some stability as the earth hitched and shook, like a mad horse trying frantically to buck him off. He cried out as the breath was driven from his lungs by a particularly hard jolt.

His head jerked up at the sound of a scream and he looked to the side. Belus stood before a woman, lightning striking her from his open fist. Daniel's mouth dropped open as Belus drove a spear into the woman's belly. She screamed and doubled over.

"No!" He cried, unable to tear his gaze away. Lightning struck the ground all around as Belus unleashed his anger on the allies and minions of Omoroca. He stepped callously over the body of the woman and approached the body of the dragon. "He cut her asunder." Daniel gasped.

Belus rained lightning upon the dragon until her body shuddered and split. He watched as Belus gestured. Half of the body rose to become a covering for the heavens. Half became new land, the earth. Belus climbed up the corpse until he reached the heavens and he smiled.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side. Her belly was horribly mutilated by the lightning and Belus's spear but she yet lived. He touched her face and she looked up at him. He drew in his breath as her eyes met his. She had long blue-black hair and greenish skin. Her eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue, without any white in them at all. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her above the hurricane winds and booming thunder.

"Who are you?" He yelled. "Who are you?" He brushed her cheek. She looked at him and then to the side. He followed her gaze and ducked his head as he beheld the god Belus standing over them. Belus's face twisted and he held up his hand.

Daniel screamed as the lightning bolt tore him apart.

- - - - -

"No!" Daniel sat bolt upright hands clawing the air. He drew in heaving breaths as he looked around and recognised his office. He wiped a shaky hand across his lips and swung his feet to the floor. This was getting to be too much. He waited for the sound of the SFs running in to investigate his screams. His breathing stilled and he let out a long sigh. Good. The scream must have been only in his dream.

He looked at the clock. Three in the morning. Jack would kill him if he called. Despite that, his fingers twitched toward the phone. He needed Jack to tell him how dumb he was being to be spooked by L.W. King's hundred year old translation of a four thousand year old story.

_What fate Omoroca?_

He groaned and clutched his head. _Dead, dammit. She was dead. _He just watched her die, blown to pieces by the god Belus.

_Remember… Omoroca_

"Shut up, shut up, shut up. Let me sleep. Please, God, let me sleep." He crawled back onto the couch, and curled up into a ball. He wrapped his arms around his chest and slept sitting up, head resting on the back of the couch, knees pulled up to his chest.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Two**_

Jack stopped in front of Daniel's office door in the morning. SG1 was on stand-down following the incident on Oannes. Everyone needed to calm down and get their heads on straight before Hammond would allow them through the gate again.

Jack frowned at the closed door, wondering if Daniel was coming in to work. They'd moved his boxes back into his apartment yesterday, as a surprise for him, while he was working on the base. Maybe he had stayed home today, unpacking. He swiped his card, causing the heavy door to roll open. The lights were still on. He entered slowly, just in case, trying not to startle the wily anthropologist in its dangerously pre-caffeinated state.

He stuck his head in and didn't see anyone at home. "Daniel?" He called quietly, looking from side to side. He opened the door wider and stepped in. As he entered further, he made out a form curled on the couch.

"Jesus, Daniel." Jack exclaimed, moving forward.

The linguist not only looked like something the cat dragged in, he looked like something the cat had killed, played with, buried for a week and _then_ dragged in. He was sweating and shivering, arms wrapped around his torso. He was asleep, huddled into as small a ball as he could manage, wedged into a corner of the couch. Jack felt a lump rise in his throat. Daniel looked like all the minions of hell were on his heels.

He crouched and touched Daniel's cheek with the back of his hand. "Daniel." He whispered. Daniel was burning up. Jack stood and stepped over to linguist's desk and picked up the phone, dialling the infirmary. He turned to look at Daniel as the phone was picked up on the other end.

"Infirmary. Dr. Fraiser speaking."

"It's O'Neill. Could you come by Daniel's office please?"

"Is there a problem, Colonel?" Janet's voice was all polite concern.

"Just come up here with your gear. Thanks."

"I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and settled himself on the edge of the desk. What was wrong with the archaeologist? He hoped it was just the flu, but they way Daniel had been acting for the last two days made it unlikely.

Jack thought back to their return from Oannes. Daniel seemed fine when they found him on Oannes, lucid and even animated. He made it back to the SGC under his own power and collapsed onto his bed in the infirmary. Tired. He pled off any debriefings. Daniel almost never admitted to being tired, so they knew it had to be serious. They'd let him sleep and deferred the briefings until the next day… after he'd gotten nearly sixteen hours of rest.

Janet had taken blood work, blood pressures, hooked Daniel up to half a dozen machines and pronounced him tired, dehydrated, hungry but healthy. Daniel had slept through most of the first day since their return from Oannes. He seemed fine the second day, restless the second night. The third day, he was falling asleep in his office and Jack had been infuriated by Daniel's revelations about Nem's 'hospitality'.

Day four was not looking any better. Jack turned at Janet's soft rap on the door. She peeked in. "Colonel."

Jack jerked his head, pointing her in Daniel's direction. Janet took a few steps in. Spotting her patient, she picked her way over to the sofa, and sat down on the cushion next to the scientist.

"Doctor Jackson?" She whispered, reaching out her hand and touching his forehead. Jack did not miss how her mouth tightened up. So, he wasn't imagining how sick the he was. Great. Janet touched Daniel's cheek. "Alright, Doctor Jackson, time to wake up." She patted his cheek.

Janet jumped back as Daniel woke with a start, jumping back until his backside was on the arm of the couch, back to the wall. He held his hands out defensively, warding off Janet. Jack's brow furrowed. He'd woken up the almost the same way the last time. Whatever he was fighting off in his dreams was evidently persistent.

With a long sigh, Daniel came back to himself, more or less and slumped in place. Jack helped him back onto the couch.

"How are you feeling, Doctor Jackson?" Janet asked, putting her hand on his forehead.

"Tired." Daniel rasped, closing his eyes and letting his head drop to rest against the back of the couch.

"How are you sleeping?"

Daniel gave a sharp little laugh, mouth curling up into an unpleasant smile for a moment as he rolled his head from side to side. "Sleeping too much. Not resting."

Janet and Jack exchanged glances. Janet turned back to the anthropologist. "Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to come to the infirmary. You're running a fever." She touched his cheek. Daniel rolled his head back, trapping her hand between his face and shoulder, relishing her cool touch. His eyes closed for several long seconds, and he finally nodded.

He leaned forward and hauled himself off the couch, grabbing Jack's sleeve as his wobbly knees threatened to send him right back where he started. Jack steadied him and then drew back, allowing Daniel to make his way out of the office under his own power. Weaving a little on his feet, Daniel nonetheless made it all the way to the infirmary without falling over.

He sat heavily on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor as Janet bustled around. She pushed Jack out of the room.

"Come back in an hour, Colonel. I'll have something to tell you then." She gave him a small smile and turned away. He nodded curtly and walked out of the room. He didn't go far. He snagged a chair and settled in to wait in the hallway.

- - - - -

_And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.  
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!  
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!_

Once again, Daniel found himself on the field of death, caught between Belus and Tiamat, the draconian aspect of Omoroca. He watched as their final battle played out. This time, he made out more detail. He stood on a beach, and the monster, Tiamat was walking toward the shoreline from the water. The sea was hot, scalding his legs and forcing him to shore.

Belus stood waiting in his golden armour. He held high his lightning bolt. Again, Daniel put his hand up, shielding his eyes from the glare. Belus laughed as his bolts struck Tiamat. Daniel squinted up at the sky. The bolts came not from Belus's hand, but from the heavens above. They swooped down upon Tiamat with almost a sentient precision.

Tiamat screamed, throwing her head back. Daniel doubled over and covered his ears, trying to block out the horrible sound. The wind whipped up the waves, splashing him with near boiling water. Daniel cried out and tried to crawl away on all fours. He blinked as the beach sand scratched his eyes. Belus strode forward.

Tiamat shook as the gales hit her. The winds surrounded her head, driving into her throat. The dragon's belly began to swell again, distorting and trembling.

The lightning slammed in again, blinding Daniel as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died with a scream, the dragon's body crumpling in on itself. Daniel buried his fingers in the soil, riding out the small quakes caused by Tiamat's demise. He saw stars as the final jolt snapped his face into the sand and rocks.

He heard a woman's scream. Belus attacked the raven-haired woman, lightning striking her from his open fist. The lightning turned into a staff… a spear. Daniel screamed a denial as Belus drove the spear into the woman's belly. The woman collapsed with a howl.

"No!" He cried, unable to tear his gaze away. Lightning struck the ground all around as Belus unleashed his anger on the allies and minions of Omoroca. He stepped callously over the body of the woman and approached the body of the dragon.

"He cut her asunder." Daniel groaned. He buried his face in the sand.

Belus rained lightning upon the dragon until her body shuddered and split. He watched as Belus gestured. Half of the body rose to become a covering for the heavens. Half became new land, the earth. Belus climbed up the corpse until he reached the heavens and he smiled.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side and tried not to look at her terrible wounds. He touched her face and she looked up at him. "Who are you?" He yelled, trying to make himself heard above the gale. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her. He leaned closer.

"Who are you?" He yelled. He put his hands on her cheeks, drawing her gaze to himself. She looked at him and then turned a frightened gaze to the side. He looked up at the god Belus standing over them. Belus's face twisted and he held up his hand. His eyes glowed a brilliant yellow.

Daniel screamed as the lightning bolt tore him apart.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Three **_

"No, Jack." Daniel wheezed into the phone. He was bundled up on the couch, covers up to his chin, discarded kleenexes scattered around him. He sniffed and then coughed to one side before turning back to the phone. "I'll be fine today. I just want to rest. How about you come by for dinner tomorrow? I'll be a lot better by then, and if not… um… you can make something appropriate for me. Sound good?"

He listened patiently for a moment, looking up as he heard the front door open and close. Despite Jack's repeated warnings, he'd left it open again. He made the appropriate sounds at the appropriate pauses in Jack's 'take care of yourself' speech. He smiled as a Carter's head peeked into the living room. He held up a finger to her.

"Jack… really. I'll be fine by myself. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He paused. "I am eating." Another pause and he looked uncomfortable. "Um… oatmeal?" He winced and held the phone slightly away from his ear. Sam could hear the yelling from the hallway. Finally it quietened down. "Okay, I'm sorry Jack. You're right. I haven't eaten, but I will. Really."

Daniel paused and then smiled. "I'm a civilian, Jack. Yeah. Yeah, I will. Alright. Good-bye." The last word turned into a coughing fit as the phone slipped back in its cradle.

"'Fine by myself'?" Sam crossed her arms and cocked her head.

Daniel snuffled pathetically into his kleenex and fidgeted. "If Jack knew you were here, he'd want to come over and if he comes over, we'd end up playing chess or something." He sniffed. "I just want a little sleep."

"Ah." Sam nodded a little sheepishly.

"Sam?" Daniel wasn't so sick that he missed it.

"Well, it's just that Teal'c was worried about you and…"

"Oh no." Daniel slumped back into his seat as Teal'c entered, bearing a pot that looked to hold about four gallons.

"Daniel Jackson. I have consulted a number of Tau'ri medical journals and determined that a concoction called 'chicken soup' has been defined as 'good for what ails you'." Sam bit her lip hard.

Daniel's jaw dropped. "Good for what-?"

"He was talking to the commissary chefs again."

"You will partake of this chicken soup." Teal'c's tone made the offer a statement of fact.

"I- I guess I will."

They watched Teal'c nod and retreat to the kitchen. Sam turned back. "We won't stay long. I brought some oranges too. Vitamin C, you know." She smiled awkwardly. "How you doing? You look like something you dug up"

Daniel ducked his head. "I feel like something I dug up." He complained with a small smile.

Sam rocked back and forth, unsure of what to say or do. "Soup?" She asked hopefully.

Daniel perked up slightly. "What kind?"

"Jaffa made." Sam grinned. "Turkey, mushroom, wild rice."

In response, Daniel held out his hands and motioned with his fingers. "Please." He said. Sam nodded and turned. "Coffee?" Daniel called after her hopefully.

Sam stuck her head back in the living room from the kitchen. "Orange juice." She said sternly. "But if you're good, I'll let you smell my cup." She winked as he groaned.

True to her word, they did not stay long. With dire warnings of 'telling the colonel' if he did not rest, Daniel was ushered off to bed and a good night's sleep.

- - - - -

_And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.  
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!  
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!_

Daniel groaned as the powerful voice rang out somewhere nearby. He stood, immersed up to his knees in the scalding water, as the giant dragon Tiamat screamed her fury to the skies. He stumbled hastily to shore, hissing at the pain. He could see the dragon's sinuous body a little more clearly this time, undulating and rippling behind the gathering storm clouds.

As before, Belus stood, wrapped in his golden armour. He held high his lightning bolt. Daniel recognised this scene from his earlier dream. He did not hide this time, but squinted against the glare. He needed to know more. Belus laughed as his bolts struck Tiamat. Daniel spun back and looked up at the sky. The bolts came not from Belus's hand, but from the heavens above. They swooped down upon Tiamat with almost a sentient precision and an ungodly shriek. The sound was familiar. Despite the danger, Daniel closed his eyes and hung his head, trying to concentrate only on that sound.

Tiamat screamed, throwing her head back, disturbing his thoughts. Daniel winced at the volume. He dropped to his knees as the wind rushed up and crawled out of the way before the scaling waves could find him. Belus strode forward. Tiamat shook as the gales hit her. The storms surrounded her head, invading her gigantic body. The dragon's belly began to swell again, distorting and trembling.

The lightning slammed in again, blinding Daniel as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died with a scream, the dragon's body not crumbling this time, but rearing upwards in a gout of flame and ash. Daniel clutched the ground, riding out the small quakes caused by Tiamat's demise. He saw stars as the final jolt snapped his face into the sand and rocks.

He shook it off as he heard the woman's scream. Belus attacked the raven-haired woman, golden light striking her from his open fist. The lightning turned into a staff… a spear… a staff weapon. Daniel screamed a denial as Belus fired at the woman's belly. She collapsed with a howl.

"No!" He cried, unable to tear his gaze away. Lightning struck the ground all around as Belus unleashed his anger on the allies and minions of Omoroca. The lightning struck from the heavens again with that same familiar sound. Belus stepped callously over the body of the woman and approached the body of the dragon.

"He cut her asunder." Daniel whispered.

Belus rained lightning upon the dragon until her body shuddered and split. He watched as Belus gestured. The body did not rise, it exploded. Fire lit the sky like thousands of meteorites, and storm clouds billowed up. Natural lightning rippled across the burnt out husk of the dragon. Belus climbed up the corpse until he reached the heavens and he smiled.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side and tried to treat her terrible wounds. This time, though, he took a moment to view her overall appearance for anything that might help him decipher this event. He touched her face and she looked up at him. "Who are you?" He yelled, trying to make himself heard above the gale. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her. He leaned closer.

"Who are you?" He yelled. He put his hands on her cheeks, drawing her gaze to himself. She looked at him and then turned a frightened gaze to the side. He looked up at the god Belus standing over them. Belus's face twisted and he held up his hand. His eyes glowed a brilliant yellow.

Daniel screamed as the Goa'uld hand device tore him apart.

- - - - -

With a huge gasp, Daniel sat up in bed, arms flailing. He scrambled backwards until his back was flat against the headboard, and he panted. He looked around, but saw nothing harmful. Curling up, his put his arms over his head and groaned.

It was way too early to call anyone.

Way too early.

Tomorrow, he would have to talk to Jack.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Four **_

Daniel was stirring the pot of turkey soup when the doorbell rang. "It's open!" He called, causing a coughing fit. He dumped the wooden spoon in the pot and stumbled out of the kitchen, kleenex over his mouth. He smiled as he saw Jack walk in the room.

"Hi, Jack."

"Don't 'hi, Jack' me, Daniel. What have I told you about locking your doors?" The archaeologist waved him off with no evidence of concern. Jack shook his head and then sniffed the air. "What smells so good?"

"Soup. Dinner."

"You made soup?"

Daniel snuffled into his kleenex instead of answering the question. "Would you set the table?"

Jack looked around. "Sure." His eyebrows went up slightly as he saw the coffee table. Two empty soup bowls. A coffee mug. A small pile of orange rinds. Very suspicious. If he didn't know better, he'd almost bet someone had visited yesterday. But, this was Daniel after all. He shrugged it off and set the table.

They ate in silence. Finally, Jack had to ask. "So, how you doing?"

Daniel played with his soup for a moment, before putting the spoon down.

Jack frowned slightly. "Daniel?"

The archaeologist looked decidedly uncomfortable. "I've been," he paused. "Having dreams."

"Dreams, Daniel?" The colonel bit back a comment. He had seen how the dreams had affected Daniel, the stark terror in his eyes.

"I know how that sounds." He spoke slowly, unsure of what or how much to say. He liked Jack, valued his opinion. It was so hard not to come across as a flaky academic sometimes- most times.

Jack scraped his spoon along the bottom of his bowl for a minute. "Daniel, I want you to tell me if something's wrong." He dropped the spoon. "I mean." Jack paused as he searched for words. "You're a member of my team. I need to know what's going on."

Daniel kept playing with his soup.

Finally Jack sighed and nodded. "About those dreams?"

Daniel leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I think…" His arms crept up, wrapping around his chest. "I think they are the result of Nem's device. It's like my subconscious is still searching for the answer to Nem's question. 'Where is Omoroca?'"

"Is that what had you so spooked back at the base?"

Daniel's eyes flickered up at Jack, and then down to his plate. "Yeah." He admitted quietly. "It's like I'm right there watching Belus kill her… over and over and over." He put his fingertips to the bridge of his nose. "And then he comes for me with a hand device."

Jack's expression turned dark again as he gave serious consideration about what he would do to the sentient, soon-to-be fillet o' fish on Oannes. "What can we do?" He asked helplessly.

"I don't know, Jack." He put his thumb and forefinger together, tapping the tabletop lightly. "I'm close to it, but I don't have it yet." There. He said it. He had no clue. Neither did Jack. For some reason, it was the latter realisation that scared him the most.

"Daniel." Jack sat back in his chair. "Let's get you back to the base." He made a rolling motion with one hand. "Maybe this Mackenzie guy can help you. He hypnotized Carter, helped us break out of Nem's little mind games. Maybe he can help you with this… dream."

Daniel contemplated that offer. As much as he did not want to be under doctor's care again, so soon after escaping the infirmary, perhaps Jack was right. But then, "You don't understand, Jack. I'm not quite sure I want this to go away completely. It's like I'm seeing what actually happened there. There's a part of me that really wants to know how this ends."

Jack made an exasperated noise. "Come on. You're sick. This is stress, and some leftovers from… _whatever_ Nem did to you. You know how it ends, Daniel. Omoroca is dead. End of story."

"Is it, Jack?" Daniel's eyes were bright, both with fever and with excitement. "That's what I thought back on Oannes when Nem's machine…" He clenched his fists next to his head. "Did what it did. That's what the dreams seem to be saying, but despite that, now, I'm not so sure."

"Well, then let's get you to Fraiser. She can monitor you." Jack touched Daniel's forehead briefly. "You still have a fever. You need rest."

Abruptly, Daniel stood, gathering up the dirty dishes. "You're right, Jack. I just need some sleep." His hands were shaking hard enough to make the spoons rattle in the bowl. Jack stood and rescued the dishes before anything disastrous could happen.

"Daniel-" He began.

The archaeologist cut him off with a wave of a hand. "Jack, please. Not tonight. I'm going to go to bed. You can-"

"Sleep on the couch, yes, I know." Jack said with finality.

Daniel pursed his lips and hunched his shoulders. He was going to suggest that Jack let himself out, but Jack's body language spoke eloquently as to where he could file _that_ notion. Finally, Daniel released the breath he'd been holding and gave Jack a little half smile.

"Alright. I'll get you some blankets." Jack was not happy. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, shoulders held stiffly. Daniel allowed himself to be bullied into his big bed. Jack managed to restrain himself, and not tuck in his civilian.

"Get some sleep." He said gruffly. "Any problems and we're calling Fraiser. I mean it, Daniel."

The archaeologist smiled. "Thanks, Jack."

"Yeah." Jack sighed, realising that once again, his authority had been undermined. "Night."

Daniel closed his eyes and slid under the covers. _What fate Omoroca? _The thought stirred treacherously in his mind, despite his efforts to relax.

What fate indeed?

- - - - -

_And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.  
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!  
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!_

Daniel floundered to the shore before the pain of the hot water could register. One good thing about this dream, he was getting the hang of it now. The giant dragon Tiamat screamed her fury to the skies. He stumbled hastily further inland, knowing now to avoid the waves that would soon be whipped up by the wind. In the distance, Tiamat spread her wings, undulating and rippling behind the gathering storm clouds. She almost seemed to be made of storm clouds. Sparks shot from her mouth, like small meteorites.

Daniel ignored Belus, searching the skies for the bolts of lightning. He tilted his head and closed his eyes, waiting for that almost familiar sound. His eyes shot open as he heard and placed the noise. Death gliders. Not lightning bolts, death gliders. Belus laughed as his gliders attacked Tiamat.

Daniel dropped to the ground, shielding his head as he knew that he would hear Tiamat's death scream any second. When it came, he was 'safe', and out of the way of the scalding seawater. Belus strode forward. The death gliders fired at her mouth, preventing her from uttering any sound, breathing any fire. He could see the pressure building up in her belly, until it finally spilled over and the dragon forced out a scream.

Bolts from a death glider struck near Daniel's position, blinding him as he huddled on the ground. Tiamat died, flames and ash pouring from holes in her flesh. Red, glowing blood lit the dark sky as it spilled across her swollen belly and over her dark flanks. Daniel covered his head with his arms as the ground heaved and bucked under him, telegraphing the extent of Tiamat's death throes through his trembling frame.

He tried to force himself to his feet. Perhaps this time he could stop Belus before

he killed the mystery woman. A scream from the side told him that he was too late. He dropped to his knees as the ground rolled beneath him. "No!" He cried, frustrated by his inability to protect her.

Death gliders attacked. Their energy bolts struck the ground all around as Belus unleashed his anger on the allies and minions of Omoroca. Daniel squinted into the carnage. Omoroca's allies were Jaffa in the armour of half a dozen Goa'uld lords. Serpent, dog, even scorpion. Belus methodically slaughtered the Jaffa and then moved to face the dead dragon's carcass.

"He cut her asunder." Daniel nodded. This was the part that haunted his thoughts. This was the true death of Omoroca… was it not?

The death gliders pounded on the dragon's corpse, blowing it apart. They stopped when the body exploded. Fire lit the sky like thousands of meteorites, and storm clouds billowed up. Natural lightning rippled across the burnt out husk of the dragon. Belus climbed up the corpse until he reached the heavens and he smiled.

Daniel scrambled to the woman's side and tried to treat her terrible wounds. He touched her face and she looked up at him. "Who are you?" He yelled, trying to make himself heard above the gale. She opened her mouth to speak, forcing words past sharp, white teeth, but he could not hear her. He grimaced and pulled back. Belus would return for him soon.

He scrambled up and beheld the god Belus standing over them. Belus's face twisted and he held up his hand. His eyes glowed a brilliant yellow. Daniel's own hand came up… but too slowly. He screamed as the ribbon device tore him apart.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Five **_

"And then you wake up?" Janet asked Daniel, scribbling down details on his medical chart. He hadn't been with the program all that long, but Daniel knew that medical chart would probably make for some interesting reading. He blinked tiredly, trying to keep his thoughts on track. He'd awoken, yelling, with Jack holding his wrists.

Good thing too, or his CO might now be sporting a black eye. Too shaken to protest, Daniel had allowed Jack to drag him out of bed, into clothes and off to the base. Jack had filled Fraiser in with everything he knew, Daniel was now sitting, shivering, in the infirmary as Janet made free with her penlight and thermometer.

"Yes." His head jerked up, pulling him out of his thoughts. "The, uh, dream seems to be changing every night."

"I thought you said it was the same one?" The colonel grated out from the side.

"Similar, Jack. The, um, story line remains intact. The basic integrity of the narrative is preserved, but it's like I am seeing this through the eyes of someone who is- _was_ there. The, uh, the first rendition was very… very mythological. The, um, retelling of the Tiamat story as I've read it in the Enuma Elish. From then on, it's gotten clearer. I'm seeing it more in a literal context. Belus's lightning bolts were actually death gliders. Tiamat's creatures were Jaffa. Belus used both a staff weapon and a hand device. It's the image of him using the hand device on me that usually-" Daniel broke off, but drew his fists together and then out, opening his fingers, mimicking a small explosion.

"Makes you scream?" Jack supplied helpfully.

"Wakes me up." Daniel responded firmly.

"Yeah." The colonel finished.

Daniel wagged his index finger at Janet and Jack. "The one thing- No, two things that have so far not changed, well, to any, um, significant degree, are the images of the dying woman and the dragon." He slid off of the infirmary bed, ignoring Janet's warning, and began to pace. He worried at his thumb with his teeth for a moment.

"If the other parts of my dream have sharpened up, why not the dragon? I'm missing something here."

"Daniel." Jack started, only to be waved off.

"No, there's something." Janet and Jack exchanged pained glances.

"Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to stay here tonight. I want to monitor your sleep, check your brain's functions as you go through this dream cycle. If this is something that Nem's device has done, I need more information before I can try to treat it."

Daniel was still pacing. Janet took this as an invitation to add some more theories. "Doctor Jackson, you still have a fever. A high fever can result in very vivid dreams. We also don't know what the full effect of the exposure to Nem's device may be." She tilted her head and attempted a diagnosis. "Although this is really Doctor Mackenzie's field, perhaps your conscious mind is simply trying to put a rational thought process on a mythological story." She made a brief note on her chart. Daniel was still pacing, barely listening.

Janet looked first at Jack, then to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to speak with Dr. Mackenzie in the morning." Daniel still made no reply.

"Daniel!" Jack said sharply. The scientist looked up in surprise.

"What? Oh yes, yes. Fine." He waved his hand at them, dismissing them. "Oh, I know."

Without a further word, he eased past a glowering Air Force colonel and all but ran back to his office.

"Dammit." Jack swore softly at the empty corridor.

- - - - -

"Excuse me, excuse me." Daniel jogged through the hallways, skittering around military personnel. Jack and Janet had some more questions for him about Nem's device. He told Jack he'd be there in five minutes, but the printer paper had jammed and he was now on ten minutes. He left the office, not bothering to pick up the phone as it rang. Jack was going to be steamed.

He clattered into the infirmary, juggling his armful of paper. "Sorry, sorry…" He muttered as he spied the colonel and the doctor. A hard look from both military personnel was the only response he got. He sighed dramatically. "So, what did you need?"

Janet looked at the colonel, but he was still thoughtfully staring at his team mate. She decided to take the lead. "Daniel, your brain chemistry is all over the place. I really think that whatever Nem did to you had really affected your mind. I-"

Daniel wagged a finger at her. "I agree, uh, Janet. You know, I've been looking in to that. Nem told me that the memories of my race were within me, beneath the surface." He shuffled documents. "Where was that article?" He almost dropped a folder full of papers, only to grab it back at the last minute. He flipped through the pages. "I think Nem's device did more than joggle loose memories from my university days. I think it unlocked my…" He looked up at the sceptical duo, gesturing vaguely. "My genetic memory." He looked down at the papers in his hands, and then back at Jack, over the rims of his glasses. "You can see where this is going."

Jack continued staring thoughtfully, quelling any sharp comments. Janet looked first at the colonel and then at the civilian. "Daniel, the study of genetic memory is-"

"Amateurish and, uh, undeveloped at best, yes, I know. Most of the information on the internet seems to be of the calibre one would expect of information found on the, um, internet. Believe me. I just spent the last three hours trying to find a source that didn't involve free trial offers or a four-day seminar with a self-professed guru." He shuffled through papers. "But none of these people have access to a memory enhancement device created on an alien planet by a seemingly immortal half-fish, half-man with ties to ancient Babylon… do they?"

"Daniel." Jack stepped in, trying to bring Daniel back to a less frenetic pace. He spread his hands wide. "Okay. Let's say maybe Nem's device has jumpstarted your memory." He ducked his head and gave a little cough, again, biting back hasty words. "What do we do?" He looked at Janet.

The doctor gave a little sideways shake of her head. "I can't really tell. I'll need a full examination to establish a baseline before I can even begin to evaluate how Doctor Jackson's brain chemistry might have been altered. If I can get a clear picture of how his brain is behaving now, I can compare it to some of our earlier scans."

"Okay. Daniel. Whaddya say? How 'bout you let Doc Fraiser check you out?" He paused, cocking his head at the unresponsive archaeologist engrossed in his papers. "Daniel?" He took a step forward, worry leaving a frown on his features. "Daniel?"

The linguist's eyes were wide, fixed on the paper in his grasp. Jack stepped up beside him and scanned his eyes over the document. "Whatcha got?"

Daniel waved the paper absently. "It's the Santorini volcano, Jack. The, uh… the timeline is all wrong, but the effects. Oh. That's right. It could have. That makes sense. I'll bet-"

Jack made an exasperated noise. "What, Daniel? What?" He barely caught Daniel as the younger man's head jerked up and his body convulsed once before dropping bonelessly into Jack's arms. "Doc!" The colonel bellowed as Daniel's papers slipped to the floor and the man himself went terrifyingly limp.

Jack dropped to his knees, cradling Daniel against his chest. The archaeologist's head rested in the hollow of Jack's shoulder. Only Jack's arms around his torso kept Daniel from slipping right to the floor.

"Get him up on the bed." Janet said, tilting Daniel's head back to try to feel for a pulse.

Jack grunted as he hauled Daniel up to the bed, wincing at the dead weight. _Don't even think that!_ He manhandled the unconscious man backward on to the bed and held him in place while Janet struggled to get Daniel's legs up. "What just happened here, Janet?"

The doctor shook her head. "It looked almost like a seizure of some sort. Colonel, it might help to know what Daniel was reading. Why don't you gather up his papers and try to make some sense of them?"

"And get out of your way." Jack finished. Janet pursed her lips, but didn't bother to deny it. Jack bent and gathered up all the scattered sheets. He shook his head. Trying to determine what Daniel was thinking was a challenge on a good day. With a sigh, he looked at the first pages. _'Santorini', huh? This should be… interesting._

- - - - -

Santorini.doc

Daniel,

I took a look at the metaphors you gave me, and broke them down into broad categories, cross-referencing them with the mythical imagery of the Tiamat/Omoroca legend.

1. Tiamat the dragon… references to the dragon are numerous but definitive descriptions are few.

2. Marduk (also called 'Belus') used half of Tiamat's body to create the heavens, half to create the earth.

3. Tiamat in her various representations is considered a goddess of the deep and a manifestation of chaos. She can be considered an elemental force, something used in mythical metaphor to explain a force of nature.

4. Tiamat, during her battle with Marduk, has the force of the four winds pushed down her throat, whereupon, she inflates and is defeated by Marduk.

5. As Tiamat was dismembered, her eyes created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and her aspect of godhood was carried away by the wind.

6. At least one of the versions of the creation myth describes Tiamat as a 300 mile long serpent, who moved in undulations of 6 miles long. Very large dragon.

Look at these again, but strip away the mythological aspect of the readings.

1. Unknown event.

2. Significant geomorphological and climatic effects.

3. Destructive effects.

4. Strange weather systems.

5. Creation of new landforms or modification of existing humid cycles.

6. Massive scale.

I think your answer here is a volcano. The closest I can come to a large-scale event that might account for this is the Santorini eruption that was responsible for the destruction of the Minoan civilisation and one of the origins of the Atlantis legend.

The Santorini eruption has a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) of 6. Krakatoa also had a six. Tambora was the only volcano to rate a seven, I believe. Very destructive, very explosive volcano. This is a result of the caldera collapse. Often with these caldera volcanoes, the central pipe collapses, blocking off the main flow of lava and gases. The pressure builds up and the entire mountain blows out. Think of the Mount St. Helens eruption. This was many times the force of that eruption. The entire side of the mountain bulged outward prior to the explosion.

Ash from the eruption was found all through the Eastern Mediterranean. Again, remember St. Helens? The ash clouds travelled hundred of kilometres and affected weather patterns around the world. The debris deposits near Santorini were estimated to be around 50m thick. Some researchers claim that climate change would have been dramatic, reaching into northern Europe.

As is typical of the magma/gas types of composite volcanoes, the eruption was explosive, sending up large lava bombs as well as the gases. This may account for some of your stars and celestial events in the myths.

Volcanoes also often create their own pressure systems, resulting in violent

thunderstorms. Perhaps Marduk's lightning bolts are simply a by-product of the eruption. The winds may also result.

Retell the myth from a strictly scientific point of view and you get:

Tiamat was a large volcano centred in a water body. Pressure began to build, possibly resulting in some small scale eruptions. The pressure got to critical levels. The side of the mountain began to bulge outward. The mountain blew, causing massive shifts in climatic patterns, severe storms, black rains and even fireballs. I don't see much evidence of _nue ardente_ (toxic gas flows) such as the sort that killed the population of Martinique, but that may give you a cause of the death for Omoroca's creatures.

After the eruption, the heavens would be altered: colder weather, loss of crops, cloud and ash layers in the upper atmosphere, altered colours of sunsets and sunrises. This celestial alteration may be the basis of the heavenly creation myth, or we may simply be looking at the period after which the ash clouds settled and the stars revealed themselves again.

The landscape of a post-volcanic environment would be greatly altered from pre-volcanic landscapes, hence the creation of the earth and mountains point. In fact the Enuma Elish says that Marduk established new stations for the other gods. Volcanic (magmatic soils) can be very fertile and are often settled soon after the eruptions cease.

As I said earlier, Santorini's main explosion occurs after the creation of the Enuma Elish tablets, probably. Still, the Santorini volcano has a long history of eruptions and the various tellings of the creation myth seem to be cobbled together from a number of sources. It's well within the realm of possibility that the original story used a smaller scale eruption, possibly of Santorini, brought to Babylon and told in a local context. This could have been further fleshed out by later retellings post-Santorini.

Robert

- - - - -

Still in the infirmary, using a hospital table for a desk, Jack shuffled through Daniel's papers, putting aside the Santorini notes. The rest of it was pictures, geological surveys, observations and diagrams. All gibberish to him, but this was what Daniel had been reading when he collapsed. He sighed, pulling out a ten-page document on genetic memory and another booklet on Babylonian myths.

Perhaps the mysterious author of the Santorini document, one 'Robert Rothman', could help shed some light on this. Jack tapped a finger on the document thoughtfully. Jack made a mental note to read Daniel's email later.

"Sir?" Jack looked around and spied Carter standing in the doorway of the infirmary. He waved her in. She came up to him and cocked her head, reading the documents. "How is he?" She asked softly, looking at the too still figure of Daniel on the infirmary bed.

"No change since he collapsed. Janet says his brain activity is erratic. She has no idea what's causing it." Jack said, his tone clipped with frustration.

Carter took the hint. "Is this what Daniel was working on?"

Jack nodded and looked at the archaeologist, unconscious on the bed. Teal'c sat at Daniel's side, guarding his sleep. "Yeah." He handed the pile of documents to his second in command. "Tell me what you think." He'd called her after he started reading through Daniel's papers.

Carter took the papers and flipped through them. "You said that he mentioned something about genetic memory."

"Yeah."

"Does Daniel Jackson believe he is possessed by a Goa'uld?"

"No, Teal'c. Daniel thinks he's remembering a previous life." Carter answered the Jaffa. She frowned, considering her own words. "Well, actually, it sounds like he is remembering something in his family tree. Not his life, per se, but the life of one of his distant ancestors." She shook her head. Wormhole physics was an easier topic to wrap her mind around. This was a little out there.

"This is all because of that damn creature from the black lagoon and his mind-sucker."

"Sir, the ability to access one's own genetic memory is just speculation. There is very little scientific basis for any genetic memory in human beings."

"Well, Carter, if Shirley MacLaine can access past lives, who's to say it's _not_ genetic memory? Besides, Daniel believes it, and right now it's the only lead we have."

Jack got up and walked over to the sleeping figure. His hand dropped to Daniel's forehead. "Come on, Daniel. What's going on in that over-developed brain of yours?"

- - - - -

The great vizier, Myomis, strode through the halls of the great palace of Oannes, named for the race of beings inhabiting its walls. They walked among the humans by day, and by night returned to the solitude of the great waters.

His eyes rose to the great mountain above the fortress. The crater of the great volcano smoked with ominous promise. Now and again, small tremors rumbled under his feet. The shaking was not strong enough to disturb his steps, rather like the passing of a large caravan. Still, the muttering of the great mountain was growing louder, her sleep more restless. Soon, very soon, they would have to abandon this fortress and find another.

He spied an ornate wall, covered in detailed frescoes and tile. His breath drew in, as it always did, at the marvellous work of art. It was a depiction of his mother in her aspect of the great and unknowable deep, the chaos of the wide sea. The dozen shades of blue graded into abstract patterns and swirls so intricate that it made one's eyes hurt to view it long. It filled him with a profound sense of purpose.

Today, though, he was too busy to gaze long upon the artwork. He had news of great import for his parents, words that they would be loath to hear. His siblings, the treacherous band, had formed alliances with their most ancient of enemies.

He strode into the hall and found Apsu, his father. The tall, blue skinned man called to him as he strode toward his son, speaking harshly through his misshapen mouth. "Come, my good son. Let us find your mother."

Together they entered deep within the mountain to find Omoroca in the place of her power, resplendent upon her throne. He bowed to his mother, she of raven hair and sapphire eyes. His own face was moulded in her image. He had the sturdy carriage of his father, but his mother's sharp eyes and fine features. Omoroca's beauty could outshine even that of the most pleasing human women. Myomis, like his mother, turned many heads.

They spoke for a brief time of Myomis's siblings, his brothers and sisters who passed their time among the humans of this world. Apsu spoke against them, in his harsh way. "They have been the cause of much strife. They have fallen to the ways of our enemy, the Goa'uld. We must destroy them, and regain a measure of peace."

Omoroca, the splendid queen, stood and paced her great hall. She tore at her rich clothing and cried to the heavens. She did not wish for her children to die, for with them would die all the promise of her blood. They had come to this land to save the people, and instead, her rash children had become all that she despised. Still, she could not let them simply be condemned. "We cannot destroy what we have created. They may be troublesome, but let us wait and hope." Omoroca pleaded with her husband and son.

Myomis shook his head. "Father, stay not your hand. Cast them down and you will again have peace by day, and rest by night."

Apsu leaned forward and placed his clawed hands on either side of his proud child's face. While Omoroca wept, they spoke at great lengths of dark and dire things.

None of the three beheld the slim figure of Ea as he watched, hidden in the shadows. Soon, the nephew of Myomis slipped into the gloom and ran to warn his errant family.

In the still of night, Ea returned. Vengeance weighed heavily upon his mind. He called to the water, bending it to his will. He cast down his grandfather, great Apsu. The mighty king was lost in the waves, and Ea rejoiced.

With one enemy vanquished, Ea strode with purpose to the chambers of his uncle, Myomis. Once there, he summoned his guards and had the traitorous man imprisoned deep within the walls of the fortress. Myomis cried out in anger and rage as the heavy chains closed about his wrists. He fought and cursed until despair dragged him to the ground and clutched him tight against her bony breast.

- - - - -


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Six **_

"Nnnrrgh." Daniel hitched in his bed, twitching from side to side. Instantly, Sam and Jack were on their feet, skidding to his bedside. Teal'c stood by the head of the bed.

"Daniel. Hey, come on. Look at us here." Jack ducked down, eye level with Daniel.

The archaeologist coughed and dragged himself back to consciousness. Jack gave him a tight smile and sat back. Daniel looked around at Teal'c and Sam hovering over him.

"Hey." He croaked.

Sam smoothed his hair back away from his face. "Hey, yourself. How are you doing?"

Daniel's eyebrows lifted and he gave the question some thought. "It was amazing, Sam." He got to his elbows and started to shimmy backwards, making Fraiser's machines squawk in protest. The doctor herself entered the room at a trot with one of the nurses hot on her heels. She slowed as she spied Daniel awake and alert.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Looked like a barrel of monkeys." O'Neill said dryly.

"No. No, Jack. I saw Apsu and Omoroca. I- I- I was Myomis!" Daniel's fingers spread, tapping his chest.

Jack and Sam exchanged glances. "Uh, Myomis?"

"Yeah!" Daniel's eyes were wide with excitement. Janet made frustrated noises as she tried to keep him still and keep all the various lines, tubes and needles in place. "Well, I was surprised that it was Myomis. It's really only some obscure Catholic encyclopaedia that actually refer to him- me- Myomis as, well, Myomis."

He twisted to look at the colonel. "Jack! I saw him! I saw Nem. He was- he was Apsu. He's my…" His speech started to slow and he shook his head. "My father and…" Daniel frowned and touched his hand to his forehead, pausing in his speech. Fraiser's sharp eyes did not miss the gesture.

"Doctor Jackson, your blood pressure is far too high and your fever is going up again." Daniel waved her off absently, trying to marshal his thoughts. Janet craned her neck and looked at the displays. "Doctor Jackson, I'm serious. I need you to relax here, or I will have to sedate you."

This made Jack's head jerk up and he frowned deeply. He squinted at the monitors, but they made as much sense to him as Daniel's precious squiggles.

"No." Daniel's voice was softer now, but no less insistent. "No. This is important." He put his hand up, effectively shushing them. "I know this. Unh!" He made a frustrated noise and clenched his fist. "I just need a little more. Just a little more. Ah!" This time, the noise was pain, not frustration and Daniel pressed his fists to his temples.

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c's large hand touched the man's shoulder. "Your answers appear to be found in your dreams. It would be prudent at this time to rest, and contemplate this issue. No further progress can be made if you overtax your mind." He guided Daniel back against the cushions.

Jack looked sideways in time to see Doctor Fraiser empty a syringe into Daniel's IV line. He grimaced, but nodded.

Daniel settled back grudgingly. "No, I have to know." The archaeologist pleaded, too late to stop the numbing sedatives flowing through his veins. His head lolled back against the pillows and his eyes closed. As he dropped off, he murmured, "What fate Omoroca?"

- - - - -

Jack sat back in his chair at the briefing table and stared at the painted wood. General Hammond, Sam and Teal'c were at their places around the table. They silently waited the arrival of Doctor Fraiser.

With a clicking of heels, the doctor entered the room. "I apologise for the delay. I needed to finish some last checks on Doctor Jackson."

Hammond nodded. "Understood, Doctor. Please, have a seat." Janet slipped into one of the high-backed leather chairs. "Now, Doctor, what can you tell us?"

Janet drew a breath and gave her head a sharp shake. "Well, sir, I have to say that this is unlike anything we've had to deal with so far." She flipped open Daniel's file. "Basically, Daniel's serotonin levels are out of balance." She held up a hand to forestall O'Neill's outburst. "As far as I can tell, it's _not_ the result of any foreign substance being introduced into his system. It's all naturally created. The serotonin levels are influenced, in part, by proper sleep."

"You mean he just needs a good night's sleep?"

"Well, Colonel, it's a little more complicated than that. His brain is, essentially, locked on over-drive."

Jack made a face, but it was Hammond that asked the next question. "What's the long term prognosis, Doctor?"

Janet shook her head. "I can't say, sir. He is having intense dreams, nightmares, but he isn't reaching a true REM dream state. It's as if he's being subjected to an extreme flashback, not dreaming at all. He may be sleeping, but he's not resting."

Sam sat up straighter. "The human body can't function without some sort of REM-state rest."

Janet nodded reluctantly. "That's true. Doctor Jackson operates naturally with only minimal rest, his system may be able to cope with this better in the short term, but long term, this will have severe effects. He will likely become irritated, absent-minded, distracted and difficult to reason with."

"So, no change." Jack muttered with a grin that vanished as quick as it appeared. Ill-timed humour was his defence in difficult times.

"That's just the start, sir." Janet supplied helpfully. "Continued interruptions in the sleep cycle can result in depression, and anger. Some animal studies suggest an impact on the immune system and the inability to fight off disease. These dreams may also be causing a dissociative state. You heard him in the infirmary. He referred to himself as this… Myomis and the alien Nem as his father."

"What is the nature of these 'flashbacks'?" The General asked.

Jack stepped in. "Well, he'd been having dreams that he says may have been some sort of genetic memory." He leaned back in his chair, combing his fingers through his hair with one hand.

"Sirs, we looked at Daniel's papers." Sam folded her hands together as she spoke. "I'm going to need a little more time to figure out the mythological elements of Daniel's research, but the gist of it is that Daniel believes that Nem's device has put him in touch with the memories of someone close to Nem and possibly Omoroca at the time of Omoroca's death at the hands of the Goa'uld Belus. Daniel believes that he is seeing the events as they unfolded over four thousand years ago."

Hammond shook his head. "How we deal with, or even begin to treat something like that?"

Janet looked at the assembled members of SG1 and spoke up, somewhat hesitantly. "Sir, I'd like to have Doctor Mackenzie's assistance with this. There may be a course of treatment that could help stabilise Daniel's serotonin levels. Perhaps hypnotism, such as was used on Captain Carter, could help fight the effects of Nem's machine."

"You mentioned that Doctor Jackson was not sleeping well. Could you administer something to assist with this?"

Janet made a little face and tilted her head, before giving it a sharp shake. "I wouldn't recommend it, sir. Sleeping pills often interfere with REM sleep. That's why they are not recommended for long-term usage."

"Perhaps the being called Nem may be able to give us guidance in this matter." Teal'c spoke up.

Hammond sighed. "Alright. Captain Carter, I want you to tell me what you can of these Babylonian myths. Report back in one hour with anything you have. As for Oannes, I want SG1 ready to go at 0800 tomorrow morning. Understood?"

"Sir!" Came the prompt reply.

- - - - -

Sam groaned and leaned back in her chair. "I can't believe this stuff! How does Daniel find anything in this maze?"

Teal'c lifted an eyebrow. "What is the problem, Captain Carter?"

"Well, alright, this is really Daniel's forte, not mine, but according to Daniel's notes, the Omoroca character was also known as Tiamat. Now, I'm trying to find information about her and look… she's also known as Tiamut, Tavthe, Tehôm… um… Thavatth, Tauthe, Tiawath… here's Tiwawat, Tamtu, and then Thalatth… Good God, can't these people just name something and stick with it?" She sighed. "Do you know anything about these Goa'uld?"

"No, I do not," Came Teal'c's succinct reply. At Sam's raised eyebrow, he continued, holding up another paper. "It appears as though Apsu, who was also known as Apason, Absu, Abzu, Apzu…"

"I got it, Teal'c."

"Indeed. Apsu was the being we encountered by the name of Nem. In the story of Tiamat's death, they claim that Apsu was betrayed by the god Ea, who was also known as Aa, Ae, Aos, Enki…"

"Still got it, Teal'c."

"Indeed. Ea was the grandson of Tiamat and Apsu. This appears to mean that he was one of the beings known as Oannes."

"So where does Myomis fit in?"

"It was difficult to find the correct information. Myomis is not a particularly common translation of the name. Moumis and Momis," He enunciated carefully to differentiate the names, "Were also used, but the most common form of the being's name was Mummu."

"Mummu?"

"Yes."

"Oh, the Colonel will love that. Wait… I've seen that name."

"In reading the translations of the Enuma Elish, it appears as though Myomis was the first born son of Apsu and Tiamat… or as we know them, Nem and Omoroca."

"So Daniel thinks he's Nem's son?"

"Daniel Jackson appears to believe he has the _memories_ of Nem's son."

"What happened to Myomis in the story?"

"He was betrayed by the Goa'uld Ea and imprisoned. Nothing more is said of his fate."

"And you know nothing about these Goa'uld?"

"Captain Carter, the Tau'ri Stargate was buried not long after the time of Omoroca. The name 'Marduk' is known to me, but none of the other Goa'uld have left their mark upon history."

"Well, it looks like Marduk, or Belus was the head honcho." Teal'c cocked his head at Carter's phrasing. "Uh… main deity in the pantheon." She checked her watch. "Alright. General Hammond is expecting his briefing in ten minutes. Let's hope this makes some sense to him."

Teal'c responded with a simple nod of his head.

- - - - -

"This is certainly an interesting story." The general shook his head. Sam had managed to cobble together a rough lineage of important Babylonian deities. Daniel's notes had helped point them in the right direction to the important players.

"So, let me see if I got this." Said Jack. "Nem is Apsu." He painstakingly formed the unfamiliar name. "Omoroca is Tiamat. Daniel is," He snickered softly. "Mummu."

"He prefers 'Myomis', sir." Carter interrupted.

"Yeah… wonder why? Anyway… Myomis is Apsu and Tiamat's son. He was imprisoned by Ea… his nephew. That right? Anyone else I should know about?"

"Belus." Teal'c spoke, his deep voice lending drama to the word.

"Belus?"

"It was Belus who slew Omoroca."

"He was persuaded by the other gods to kill Tiamat."

"Why?"

"Well, according to the Enuma Elish story, he was granted the position of, sort of a, well, head god." Carter shrugged.

"And Belus is?" O'Neill braced himself for more convolutions in the story.

"Belus is the Goa'uld also known as Marduk."

"And Teal'c knows Marduk." Carter put in.

"Indeed. He was mentioned by Kendra on the world known as Cimmeria." The Jaffa nodded his head as he spoke.

Jack grinned, a sharp smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Thor's Hammer. Great. Charming family our Daniel's found for himself."

"There's more, sir. Marduk was the son of Ea, Nem's great-grandson."

"This is worse than Shakespeare!" The colonel tossed the papers on the briefing table.

"Captain, if I understand the briefing you just gave, Omoroca was killed by Belus over four thousand years ago. Doctor Jackson said so himself. Why would these memories be surfacing if Doctor Jackson already knows the answer to his question?" Hammond shook his head.

"Perhaps Daniel Jackson's earlier answers were wrong."

"Care to explain that, Teal'c?" Jack looked up.

"It is simple, O'Neill. Daniel Jackson spoke the words 'What fate Omoroca'. It appears that, at least in his mind, Omoroca's true fate may yet be in question."

"That might be it, Teal'c. If he runs this dream sequence through, then perhaps he'll somehow pull himself out of these memories." Sam postulated.

"It's possible, Captain." Janet shook her head. "But to be honest, it looks more like he's getting lost in them."

No one really wanted to contemplate that for long. "Colonel, have you managed to contact the author of this 'Santorini' paper?" The general brought up another option.

Jack grimaced. "Daniel was using a free email provider. I used Daniel's account and emailed him, but all I got back was an automated message saying that he was out of the office until tomorrow."

Hammond gave the matter some quick thought. "If we need to, we can look up some information on this Doctor Rothman. Perhaps we can find a home or work number. Right now, let's concentrate on what we do know and determine how best to help Doctor Jackson."

- - - - -

Myomis pulled at his chains until his wrists were raw and bleeding, cursing his nephew and his traitorous kind. They had devoted their lives to the destruction of the Goa'uld, and now the beasts had won.

He looked up at the sound of the prison doors opening. Myomis shook his head, keeping his long, black hair out of his blue eyes. Hissing through sharp white teeth, he cursed, as Ea opened the door and entered the cell.

"Uncle." The younger Oannes said. His blue skin acted as an effective camouflage, hiding him in the shadows.

"Ea." Myomis spat. "What have you done?"

Myomis stood up straight as Ea's eyes glowed an unholy yellow. He was pushed back against the stone wall as his nephew's taloned hand found his throat, digging in to the lightly scaled skin.

"What have _I_ done, oh blessed uncle?" Ea's breath rasped. Like Apsu, Ea had a stocky body, and fish-like features. His wide mouth sometimes distorted his speech. "I have saved this family from the machinations of our traitorous elders."

"It is you and the younger ones who are traitors. We eldest know this and remember!"

"Silence!" Myomis's head bounced off of the stone wall as Ea slammed him backwards. The older being flushed a dark blue with anger. Ea continued. "Do you know what the humans of this world call me? I am a God… the God of Wisdom. They believe that I know everything."

"And you believe them?" Myomis said scornfully. "We are here to teach them. I am surprised that you are now taking your guidance from them instead."

"Still your words, Uncle, else I shall be forced to teach _you_ a painful lesson."

"Foolish child." Myomis could not contain his anger. "You have doomed your family and you have doomed these humans. They will be nothing more than slaves for your foul passenger. You have debased our name and shattered our pledge to the people of this world."

Ea gave an incoherent roar and held up a hand. Myomis grimaced as a brilliant yellow light flared up and struck his forehead. "I am a God!" Ea rasped, sharp scales flaring dramatically. "From me and those like me will come the history of this world." Myomis cried out softly, slumping in his chains as Ea placed the hand device directly against his skin. Ea grinned, showing rows of shark-like teeth. Myomis convulsed and then went still, blue blood spilling from his nose and eyes.

Ea withdrew the hand device and tilted back his unconscious uncle's face. He leaned in close and whispered, "And I shall be sure, dear Uncle, that our world and our history shall know nothing of you save for your betrayal of your family." He released Myomis, allowing the captive's head to drop to his chest.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Seven**_

The members of SG1 rested fitfully, keeping vigil on their archaeologist. Any thoughts of returning to Oannes had been put on hold, pending changes in Daniel's condition. Fraiser wasn't willing to give him a go for gate travel, and the other members of the team were not willing to leave him until he had stabilized.

"Hunh!" Daniel's body convulsed in the infirmary bed, hands thrown out at his sides.

Janet raced for her machines, punching buttons and reading the wildly spiking lines.

Jack threw himself across Daniel's chest, trying to stop the man from hurting himself. "Janet?"

Before the doctor could respond, Jack found himself airborne, pushed away by Daniel. He stumbled backwards and crashed into another hospital bed, losing his footing and sitting down abruptly. Sam stumbled backward, clutching a shoulder, and then Daniel was sitting up. He roared at them in some unknown language as he tried to free himself from the grip of the medical devices.

"Daniel!" Jack barked as he painfully found his feet. "Daniel, snap out of it."

Janet winced as Daniel tugged the IV right out of his arm and blood began to trickle down his pale flesh. In two shaky steps, he was out of the bed and up against the wall, his hands out before him, warding off the others. The man was still barking strange statements to his friends and co-workers but quick glances revealed that nobody understood what he was talking about.

Sam's head jerked up as she made out the world 'Goa'uld' in a particularly ominous growl and realisation dawned. She shook her head, and made slashing motions with her hands. "No. Goa'uld, no!"

Daniel stopped yelling and frowned. He shook his head, flipping his long hair out of his eyes. He pointed at Sam. "Goa'uld!"

Sam's head swung from side to side, exaggerated as much as she was able, hoping he would understand the body-language of the negative even if he did not understand the word. "No. No. Goa'uld, no!" She pointed, hoping this word would sink through. "Tau'ri."

Daniel's frown grew deeper and he bared his teeth, making a little hissing noise through them. "Tau'ri?"

Carter smiled, nodding. "Tau'ri." She waved to everyone gathered. "Tau'ri. No Goa'uld." She pointed to herself. "Samantha." Daniel's head lifted. He pondered the word. Sam repeated it, pointing at her chest. "Samantha." She pointed at O'Neill. "Jack." Daniel's eyes narrowed. He was beginning to understand this. Sam motioned for Doctor Fraiser to come forward. "Janet." Sam bit her lip, worried. This would be the hard one. She pointed to Daniel's side, out of his direct field of vision. "Teal'c."

Daniel turned and went rigid, anger and fear evident on his face. "Jaffa!"

"Sholva." The large man said evenly.

Daniel tilted his head, looking sidelong at the Jaffa. One could almost see his mind working frantically. "Jaffa sholva?"

Teal'c spoke a few more words in his native language. Daniel frowned. This was evidently not a language he understood well, but he obviously got the gist of it. He nodded.

"He understands Goa'uld." Carter whispered, amending her words in an instant. "Uh, well... he understands some Goa'uld."

"Of course he does." Jack grated. "That's Daniel."

Carter grimaced. "Sir..."

She was stopped as Daniel turned back to her. He pointed in her direction and spoke. "Samantha." His pronunciation was heavily accented, but the name was recognisable. Carter nodded and smiled. He pointed to the Colonel and then the doctor. "Jack. Janet." He turned. "Teal'c."

When it was obvious that he'd gotten the names right, he nodded and a small smile curled up the corner of his mouth. He pointed his finger to his chest.

"Myomis."

"Carter." O'Neill's voice was soft, trying not to startle Daniel… Myomis. "Carter, get somebody down to the Linguistics lab. See if anyone there can speak-" He waved his hand. "Babylonian?" Janet motioned for one of the nurses to make the call to the linguistics staff.

Myomis turned to look at O'Neill, perhaps recognising the last word. Jack frowned. Despite the face and body, the whole stance of the man was completely different. He had to look hard to see anything of Daniel. Myomis stood tall, his shoulders back. He met everyone's gaze evenly, no shirking, no looking other places, no looking down. He may be dressed in hospital scrubs in a strange location and surrounded by potentially hostile people, but he was every inch in control.

Carter nodded at Jack's suggestion. "It's Akkadian, sir."

"What?" O'Neill's eyebrows went up. "Like the French-Canadians?"

"Uh... those were Acadians, sir, with a 'c'. Myomis is Akkadian, two 'k's."

"So, French won't cut it."

Carter allowed herself a small smile and shook her head. "No, sir."

Myomis tilted his head, looking at Carter. Janet stepped up. "Captain, he seems to trust you. Can you get him to sit down on the bed? I need to monitor his blood pressure."

Carter shrugged. "I think trust is fairly relative at this point. Let's see." She walked around Myomis. The man's bright eyes followed her every movement, but he did not move. "Myomis." Sam said his name softly.

"Samantha." He spoke equally softly. His voice was deeper than Daniel's normal tones.

She patted the bed. "Come. Sit." He frowned. She waved her hand, gesturing for him to join her. "Come."

"Come." He repeated her gesture.

Sam smiled. "No. You come. Myomis, come."

Myomis's eyebrow lifted. "Myomis..." He pointed to his chest and then started walking toward Carter. "Come?"

Sam's answering smile was bright. "Right!"

Jack shifted. "Oh, don't get so happy, Carter." He muttered. "Am I the only one worried about Daniel?"

Carter looked reproachfully at him. "Colonel, this is Daniel, just… Well, sir, nothing like this has ever happened before." She turned back to Daniel. "Myomis. Sit."

"Come on, Daniel... you know us. You understand this. Come, sit, heel... stay." Jack muttered. He caught Myomis's quick look in his direction before the man turned back to Sam.

Sam pulled herself up on the bunk. It was raised up, so she had to give a little hop. Myomis cocked his head as Sam patted the mattress next to her. "Come, Myomis. Sit."

Myomis came and stood before Sam. She slid off the bunk, meaning to show him 'sit' again. As she went to jump up, Myomis's hands circled her waist, and he lifted her up onto the bed. Sam's smile disappeared, replaced with uncertainty.

Myomis smiled, backing off and then hopping up on the bunk beside her. "Myomis, sit."

Sam cleared her throat and slid off the bed. She motioned Janet forward. Perhaps Myomis would allow them to check Daniel's body. She put a hand up, stopping him as he started to get off the bed. Janet stepped around her and touched Myomis's arm. She tugged it forward.

Myomis frowned, but allowed her. She wrapped the pressure cuff around his upper arm and started to inflate it. This made the frown deepen, and Myomis started to pull away. Sam touched his other arm and shook her head. He stopped pulling away, but was not happy. He started questioning Sam, speaking in the strange language again.

Sam shook her head. She couldn't understand anything. Finally, Myomis held up his hand, turning it from back to front and shaking it.

"I think fish-boy just noticed that he isn't a fish boy anymore." Jack drawled.

Everyone looked up at the clattering sound of footsteps. An airman came jogging in with an older man following behind. The man was juggling several thick books and notepads. Jack turned to greet him.

"Doctor?"

"Haller, sir."

"You speak Akkadian?"

The man smoothed back his greying hair and nodded. "I understand some of the language." He looked nonplussed. "But Doctor Jackson is our resident expert. If he's here..."

He trailed off as Daniel/Myomis spoke to him. Haller's mouth opened and closed several times, and then stammered a reply.

Myomis immediately perked up. He stood up and walked quickly over to Haller, forcing Janet to hastily pull off the pressure cuff, or be dragged along behind. Words spilled rapidly out of Myomis's mouth. Haller backed up a little and held up his hands. "Hold it, hold it." He spoke slowly at the man.

Jack and Sam edged forward. "Haller, what's he saying?"

"He's- He's asking questions. Where is he? Who are we? Why does he-? I think he asked why he looks different? Colonel?" Haller asked the last plaintively, not understanding.

Jack waved his hands. "Later, Haller. Right now, tell him he's with the Tau'ri. We fight the Goa'uld." The anthropologist nodded and translated, pausing once to flip open a reference book. Myomis spun back to Jack, speaking to him.

Haller hummed and hawed as he had to look up two words. "Alright, I think I got that. He wants to know who is in charge here."

"That would be me." General Hammond's voice sounded from the doorway. Everyone looked up. "What on God's green Earth is going on here?" He said.

"Sir." Carter stepped forward. "Daniel was suffering from some sort of convulsions. When he opened his eyes, he was-" She pointed at Myomis. "He's calling himself Myomis."

"The Oannes being that Doctor Jackson was studying?" Myomis looked over at the familiar word. He stepped toward Hammond. Haller came forward, to facilitate introductions. The General sighed as he looked up and down at the man he knew as Daniel. "I am General George Hammond." Haller translated. Myomis leaned over to Haller and said something to him. Haller referred once to his books and then asked Myomis a question. He got a curt nod in return.

"General, he wants you to repeat what you just said." Hammond frowned but allowed it.

"I am General George Hammond."

Myomis lifted his head and closed his eyes. He nodded and replied. "I... am... Myomis. I am... Oannes." He nodded at the last. Hammond's eyebrows shot up.

Myomis put a hand to his forehead. Jack moved forward. "Does he have a headache?" Haller put the question to Myomis with the aid of gestures. He received a small nod in return. "Okay." Jack took Myomis, no, dammit, Daniel, by the arm and led him to the bed. "Okay, sit."

Myomis's hand made a fist and he pressed it tightly to his temple. "Jack?" The colonel held up the younger man, hands on his shoulders.

"I'm here, Daniel."

But it was not Daniel who whispered the strange words in Jack's ear as Haller leaned close to hear. O'Neill looked at Haller. The scientist made a face and shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't-" He shrugged. "Reveal fate Omoroca?"

Jack helped Daniel lean backwards as the younger man's body went limp.

- - - - -

"So, what the hell was that?" Jack gestured widely, the hand that had been mussing his hair flying out to point at Daniel, once again unconscious on the bed.

Janet shook her head. "His dissociative states are getting more pronounced. He was fully integrated into this Myomis character. Voice, stance, personality. It was a profound break from Doctor Jackson's normal persona."

"Are you saying he's going nuts?" Jack barked.

"Sir, I think there may be more to it than that." Carter crossed her arms and looked sideways at Daniel. "What if he was actually Myomis?"

"Captain." Fraiser began, a note of warning in her voice.

Carter put up her hands. "No, think about it. Read Daniel's mission report for his time with Nem. He quoted Nem as saying that the-" She reached over to the pile of papers. Daniel's half-written, point-form mission report was in there. "Here it is. He said 'The memory of your history, your race, is within you. Beneath the surface'." She waved the report. "He highlighted two or three quotes like that. Think about what Nem did to our memories. We fought him. Daniel allowed him free rein to do whatever he needed to do. What if somehow, Nem was able to pull all those memories, ideas encoded in Daniel's DNA, up to the surface?"

General Hammond shook his head. "The results would be..." He trailed off.

"He's still Daniel." Jack said, touching the sleeping man's shoulder.

"Of course he's Daniel, with Daniel's thoughts. But, sir, think about it. If you woke up in another man's body with all your memories intact, who would you be?"

"Myomis, if he ever existed, is dead, Carter."

Sam's mouth twisted. "Not to Daniel, sir."

- - - - -

Myomis coughed, wincing as the sound ricocheted through his aching skull. Someone had entered his cell. He tried to pull his head up, but could not quite manage it.

Strong hands gripped his chin and jerked his head upward. He grunted at the harshness of the move, but showed no other signs of pain, keeping his eyes closed.

"You cannot hide from me, great-uncle." A smooth voice insinuated itself behind his headache, making him frown.

Reluctantly, Myomis opened his eyes. A young Oannes stood before him. "Belus." He croaked. This child of Ea took after Omoroca. He and Myomis could be mistaken for brothers. Both possessed the brilliant blue eyes and pale green skin of their common ancestor. Belus's hair was a blue black, as opposed to Myomis's true black, and the younger Oannes lacked his great- uncle's scattering of scales across throat and chest.

"Where is Omoroca?" Belus asked, picking at his blunt fingernails as if the question was unimportant.

Myomis laughed. "Well... I have seen nothing but these four walls for some time. My mother is no doubt safe and-" He was cut off as a backhand from Belus hurled him sideways. The chains brought him up short and he hung his head.

"Do not think me a fool!" The younger Oannes spat at his captive. "My father has killed your father." Myomis's head jerked up and Belus's expression turned to a gloat. "Oh, yes. Mighty Apsu has been taken into the watery deep."

Myomis drove a fist forward, brought up short by the chains. "Fool!" He roared. "He was better than all of you!"

Belus slammed a clenched fist into Myomis's chest, and then held the older Oannes by the throat. "Where is your mother?" Myomis curled up his lip and received another fierce backhand for his defiance. "Your mother has hidden herself from us. We will find her and destroy her."

"She was the only one that ever felt you were worth saving." Myomis forced the words out.

"She betrayed us all. I have spoken with the others. They fear that weak female. They think her powers are too mighty to counter. I shall show them the truth. If I destroy her, I will become the king of all gods. My name will be spoken with reverence, and the wretched beings of this planet will bow down before me."

"You will be the king of a ruined world. The people will not allow you to rule for long."

The Goa'uld looked at him contemptuously. "These Tau'ri are weak. They will be easily overcome. Already they acknowledge me as a God."

"And what will you do for them arrogant child?" Myomis asked wearily. "A god must be able to perform for his people, or his people will choose more accommodating deities. You and your kind have never walked among them as Apsu, Omoroca and I have. They welcome our knowledge, but they do not see us as deities."

Belus chuckled. "Because you are too foolish to see the possibilities before your very eyes. You are weak. You harbour misplaced affection for those creatures in your thoughts." The Goa'uld leaned forward. "For one in particular, yes?"

Myomis's fist drove forward again, opening more wounds on his bruised flesh, but he could not reach Belus. "You will not harm her!" He growled, gem-blue eyes glittering dangerously.

Belus moved forward, hurling Myomis to the wall, pressing up against him. "Tell me of Omoroca. Where does she hide?" Myomis spat insults at the Goa'uld. Belus released him and stepped back, gesturing to his Jaffa guards. "Take him. Bind him well. We shall ascend to the surface and you will watch as I destroy this palace and all who dwell within. If Omoroca wishes to hide from me, I shall simply have to tear down the walls of her home around her."

Myomis struggled, taking one Jaffa by surprise and managing to throw him off. The others pounded him to the ground as he reached for Belus. Myomis cried out weakly as the continued abuse overwhelmed him. When he finally slumped and was still, Belus came and crouched before him, running a finger across his great-uncle's bloody face. "I am a God." He whispered, touching Myomis's blood to his lips with a smile.

As the Jaffa lifted him, broken bones shifted and tortured flesh protested. Myomis groaned softly and dropped into oblivion.

- - - - -

Daniel shifted in his bed. A full six hours had elapsed from the time he- _Myomis_ had collapsed in the infirmary. It was night. The infirmary lights were turned down low. Jack was curled up in a hard, plastic chair next to Daniel's bed. Sam was stretched out on a bed next to him. Teal'c sat on the floor, meditating. Janet had left SG1 alone, but she was nearby in her office, open books scattered across her desk as she napped lightly in her chair.

Sam watched him as he quietly sat upright, testing his sore limbs. The convulsions had been severe. He probably felt like he had pulled every muscle in his body. He ran his hands over his arms and chest. Lines snaked out of his hospital scrubs and over to machines. Someone had replaced the IV line.

Daniel drew up his knees and put his hands over his face, looking as if he were thinking madly.

"Daniel?" Daniel's first instinct was to look at the figure asleep in the chair, but the voice had definitely been female. Wary blue eyes sought out Carter as she eased out of her bed and stepped to his side. She sat on the edge of his bed, and smoothed his long bangs out of his eyes. He smiled softly. "How are you feeling, Daniel?" He cocked his head forward, contemplating. "Do you want me to get Janet?" Sam asked.

Daniel's head came up, and he gave a peculiar little shake, flipping his hair out of his eyes. Sam flinched. She had seen that gesture once before.

"Samantha." The word was whispered, heavily accented.

Her body slumped a little. She had been hoping. "Myomis."

He spoke gently to her in his native language. She shook her head. The only word she had understood was 'Daniel'. He made a little noise and then moved his hands, making circles around his face and touching his chest. "Daniel?"

Sam pulled back for a moment. She and Janet had a long talk about this. If Daniel was delusional, they couldn't afford to reinforce that delusion. If, on the other hand, he was actually Myomis, well, they might need his help. She found herself nodding agreement before she'd even finished thinking things through.

"Yes. Daniel's body." She looked around. Ah, there. She found a small mirror among Janet's infirmary supplies and handed it to Myomis. The man took it hesitantly, taking two long breaths before holding the mirror up in the dim light. Myomis's hand flew up to his face, touching his cheeks and forehead unbelievingly. He hissed a long breath through his teeth, and put the mirror face down on the bed.

"Belus." The whisper was harsh. He ran his long fingers through his hair. "Belus."

"No." Sam shook her head. "Daniel." She took the mirror and held it up. Myomis winced away from it. She put her hand under his chin and drew him back. "Daniel." She repeated more forcefully.

Myomis sighed and looked back at the mirror. This time he relaxed and his shoulders slumped. Whatever he saw, it wasn't as bad as he thought. With Sam holding the mirror, he leaned forward, pulling down on his lower eyelids to reveal more of the blue colour. He pointed to his eyes and looked at Sam. "Belus."

"Belus's eyes?"

"Aaaiesss?" He tried.

"Eyes."

He nodded. "Belus eyes."

He opened his mouth and touched the blunt, white teeth. "Belus."

"Belus's teeth."

The Oannes ran his fingers along his jaw line and over his nose. He smiled. "Myomis." He then ducked down and took a closer look at his hair and eyebrows, touching his cheekbones and lips. He frowned. "No Myomis. No Belus."

"Daniel." Sam's voice was husky with emotion. It finally dawned on her that she might be losing Daniel, just after getting him back.

A slight movement made her look up. Jack and Teal'c were awake, both watching her with Daniel. Jack's expression was bleak. He looked lost and frustrated, and angry. Still, he made no move to interfere.

Daniel- Myomis was trying to catch Sam's attention, making signs on his bed, drawing shapes with his forefinger on the sheets. She put up her hand, signalling him to wait, and went to Janet's desk. She woke the doctor and asked her for supplies. Janet gave her a pad of lined paper and a pen. She brought it back to him. He took it and started writing strange symbols on it, passing it to her when he was done.

She shook her head. The lines, arrows and boxes were unlike anything she had ever seen. Perhaps Haller could help in the morning. Myomis made a little frustrated sound. He shook his hands, like he had pins and needles and then tried again.

He drew a straight line, and half a sun. A sunrise. Then, another straight line and a full sun high in the sky. Midday. Next, another straight line and half sun. Sunset. Finally, a straight line and stars. Night. He drew a line between them, joining them, and then some complicated symbols. He pointed to the symbols and pronounced the word.

Sam cocked her head and then nodded, understanding. "Day. It's a 'day'."

"Day."

She nodded to him. Myomis drew some more complicated symbols along another straight line. He pointed to one. "Apsu." Further down the line. "Myomis." Then further down, "Ea." And further still. "Belus." He extended the line and handed her the pen. "Samantha? Daniel? Day?"

"What the?" Jack whispered. Myomis made another frustrated growl.

"I think he wants to know how much time has passed, sir."

"Time?"

"Yes, sir. The Oannes were a sophisticated race. Daniel made mention of Omoroca descending from a 'heavenly egg'. They could have arrived by space ship. He took the pen without question, he must have seen something like this before." She looked at her CO and shook her head at the strangeness of it all. "The Oannes lived in Babylon, but they weren't Babylonian. They probably weren't even from Earth and they definitely weren't human. Even at that time, their technology probably was more advanced than ours is today. Myomis probably can see that we're not the same people he knew 4,000 years ago."

She took the pen. "Let's see if you know the seasons." She made a rough approximation of the four seasons, hoping that even in Babylon, they knew what winter was. Eventually, with a lot of pointing, she made him understand the word 'year'. Then, they needed a quick lesson on the numbering system and how to write numbers correctly. Myomis was a quick study. Of course, Daniel had mentioned that Nem had picked up English very quickly, but Sam had assumed that was some Oannes technology. Perhaps Myomis and the Oannes were natural linguists, or somehow, Myomis was making use of Daniel's skills.

Whatever the case, in only an hour, she had taught him the basics of reading and the numeral system. He was not to be dissuaded though. He pointed back to his chart. "Myomis. Daniel. Years? One? Ten?"

Sam pursed her lips. Janet was at Myomis's bedside now, watching his monitoring devices. Daniel's temperature was going down, but his blood pressure remained too high. At Janet's okay, she flipped over to a new page and wrote out 'Myomis' and 'Daniel' in English with a line between. She hesitated again, and wrote '4,000' underneath the line.

Myomis gasped. "Day?"

Sam winced and shook her head. "Years."

Myomis reeled backwards in his bed, hands flying to his forehead. "Year?" He rasped. "Year?" Janet edged forward as some of the machines started to complain. She popped a syringe and inserted it in to the IV line. Myomis didn't notice, too overwhelmed trying to assimilate this new knowledge. He started speaking again, rapid-fire, hands flailing. Sam grabbed one arm, Jack took the other. Sam made soft noises, trying to calm him down, while Jack rubbed his shoulder.

He kept repeating one word to them, looking plaintively at them. Sam frowned. Teal'c stood up and joined his team-mates as they tried to calm the distressed man. Teal'c spoke to Myomis in Goa'uld, but the man simply wrinkled his forehead, perplexed. His Goa'uld was evidently not that good. He turned back to Sam, a drowning man seeking refuge.

Myomis formed some of the few words he did know. He pounded his fists against his chest, touched his palms to his face. "Daniel." He clenched his fists to his temples. "Myomis." He repeated the gestures, adding a word in Akkadian. "Daniel? Myomis?"

Teal'c spoke in Goa'uld. Myomis pointed to him with a soft exclamation. He could not remember the Goa'uld word to say it, but recognised it when he heard it.

"I believe Myomis wishes to know how he came to be in Daniel Jackson's body."

Sam looked between the Jaffa and the Oannes in her friend's body. "God, how do we explain that?"

It was Jack that ended up trying. He stood up and pushed Myomis back onto his pillows. Myomis resisted, frowning in a very Daniel Jackson-like way, but after a brief struggle, he allowed himself to be lowered back. This would only work if Myomis knew about Nem's mind machine all those years ago. If not, they'd have one confused fish-boy on their hands in a moment.

"Seven days." He waved his hands over his shoulder, trying to indicate that the time had passed. Daniel." Jack waved his hands across the slim body in the bed. He put his hands up. "Nem's, Apsu's." Comprehension was slowly dawning in Myomis's eyes. Jack pointed back down to Myomis. "Daniel." He pointed at himself, waggling his fingers under his chin like Nem's tentacles and drawing a raspy breath. "Nem." He gave another rasping breath to hammer home that he was impersonating the blue creature that had done this to Daniel.

He looked around and found a towel, folding it and laying it across Myomis's forehead. He reiterated that Myomis was playing the role of Daniel, while he was playing Nem. He picked up a cup, holding it against the wall. His own memories of Nem's memory device were fuzzy, but this seemed familiar. With one hand holding Myomis by the chin, immobilizing his head, Jack slid the cup down the wall and made a humming noise. He moved his hand to Myomis's forehead and gripped tightly, until he saw the man wince. "Nem... Daniel." He watched the other man intently. "Come on, man, get it!"

Myomis started to nod under Jack's hands. He brought his own fingers up and pulled Jack's hand off of his face. He spoke rapidly to the older man, but his features spoke understanding.

"Good God, sir, I think he got it!" Carter said, eyebrows up and more than a little surprised.

"Indeed, O'Neill, it seems you possess a talent for communication."

Jack tried to shrug off their words, giving a half smile. "Ah, you know. I'm a guy. We strong, silent types learn how to talk without talking. It's part of our mystique." He trailed off and willed everyone to return their attention to Daniel.

The other man had taken up Sam's notepad, and was frantically scribbling cuneiform over it. Sam cleared her throat, trying to get his attention. With his free hand, Myomis made a little slashing motion, cutting her off. She exchanged looks with O'Neill as that free hand crept up to Myomis's temple and the man's writing slowed momentarily. A headache was coming on.

Jack dropped into his chair. From there, his face was level with Myomis's. He could see the other man's grimace. He had started to sweat. Fraiser made concerned clucking noises as she observed the medical equipment. Myomis hunched over and his pen pressed into the paper hard enough to rip through the first sheet. With a conscious effort, he pulled back and sat up. His head dropped back. His lips were parted, and Sam could see that he was literally biting his tongue to hold back any pained expressions.

He closed his eyes and pushed the paper in her direction. She took it and his hands dropped back to the bed. Janet bustled O'Neill out of the way, and injected something into Myomis's IV. The Oannes forced a word out between gritted teeth.

"Haller."

Sam looked at the paper. A message for Haller to translate. Myomis gave a small groan and listed sideways, into Jack's startled arms. He was utterly limp as the colonel gently placed him back into the bed.

- - - - -

Myomis groaned. Belus's Jaffa held him tightly. His hands had been wrenched up and tied behind his back, brutally tight. He stumbled as he walked, the Jaffa cuffing and shaking him when he fell out of line.

He blinked as they exited the fortress, out into the evening air. The brilliance of weapon fire hurt his eyes. It took him a moment to clear his head and try to focus. Winged craft were screaming out of the night sky, explosions shaking the earth around him. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of combat, and the high-pitched cries of the few humans in the palace fleeing for their lives. He fell to his knees, and this time the Jaffa let him stay there. Tears sprang to the Oannes' eyes as he saw his family's home crumble, and the strong walls fall.

He ducked his head as a stray staff weapon bolt threw up sharp rocks and earth. The war drew closer. The Jaffa surrounding him leapt into action. Myomis squinted. Now, he could see his mother's warriors springing to battle. Most bore the stylized scorpion armour that was Omoroca's emblem. A number of others had the armour of the enemy Jaffa with deep blue robes underneath. These were the warriors who had deserted their Goa'uld masters to serve Omoroca. The Oannes woman had no time to provide them with scorpion armour, so they used their former masters' shields against them.

It gave the battlefield a surreal look, as if a dozen breeds of monsters were fighting, trying to repel the invading forces. With his guards distracted, Myomis staggered to his feet and fled into the evening, away from the town and the fortress. He was no coward but he needed weapons and he needed to find his mother. If nothing else, if all else fell, he wanted to protect her.

He turned a corner along the outside walls, and slammed into an armoured chest. He winced as he fell backwards and skinned the flesh from his hands. He sagged a little as he recognised the scorpion guards. Pulling a knife, the guard captain freed him from his bonds. He caught the Oannes as Myomis listed.

"My Lord! We thought you gone, or dead." The guard frowned as his eyes and strong hands roved over Myomis's damaged skin. "We have searched for you for many days. Who did this to you?" The captain's angry gaze flared until it seemed it would melt steel. He looked around, as if the guilty party might suddenly appear.

"I am well, Nedu. Do not worry." Myomis coughed, blood on Nedu's sleeve making him a liar. "My father?" Myomis silently begged Nedu for an optimistic answer. The guard grimaced and shook his head. Neither he nor Nedu said anything more.

Myomis looked up into the deep brown eyes of the guard captain, his own blue eyes wide with pain and exhaustion. The two had been friends for years, and Myomis trusted him with his life. Now, he would have to trust him with the most important things in his life. "Nedu." He pulled himself upright, gripping the man's shoulder with his one good arm. "Nedu, Lamashtu, and my sons. See to them. Hide them."

Nedu dropped to one knee. "My Lord." His voice rasped. "What of you?"

Myomis shook his head. "I must find Belus. I must stop him."

"We will stop him, my Lord." Nedu rose again and gripped Myomis's arm tightly. The guard was a warrior of old. It was not his way to leave a battle, or turn aside and leave a friend in peril.

"Nedu, my friend, please. You must guide Lamashtu through the seven gates to safety. I will go with Ennugigi. We will hunt down Ea and Belus." Nedu grimaced and Myomis tried again. "Nedu... Pl-"

The guard waved him off before he could finish the thought, his voice turning kind and worried. "Of course, Myomis. I will see to them." He touched his hand to the cheek of the Oannes. "Ennugigi, guard him well."

"Anything else would be unthinkable." The sturdy guardian intoned. Ennugigi, one of the seven chief scorpion guards of the Oannes, was a former Jaffa of the Goa'uld. He had turned from his traitorous masters and joined the Oannes. Belus had called him a "sholva", a Goa'uld word that meant 'traitor'. Ennugigi had taken it as a mark of honour.

Nedu and Myomis clasped forearms in the manner of warriors. The guard captain nodded and began to walk away. "Nedu." Myomis called. The older warrior turned back to him. "I will try to find my mother. If she has been injured, I will place her in the chamber of healing. I trust you to keep the remainder of my family safe." His blue eyes bored into Nedu's.

The warrior placed his fist to his chest. "I will guard them well, my Lord."

Myomis smiled. "I know you will." He meant it. "Ennugigi, let us proceed."

The two groups parted company. Nedu travelled with only one warrior to guard him as they sought out Myomis's wife and children. Lamashtu had been in the service of Anu, nephew of Myomis. She was a fearsome warrior, and intelligent as the day was long. Only Nedu and Ennugigi knew that Myomis was the father of her children. Lamashtu had never told her master, Anu, of her divided loyalties. In fact, she had been a trusted advisor, often passing along the information to her husband. Anu believed that Lamashtu's children were fathered by one of the guards and therefore had no interest in them. This would soon change.

Myomis and Ennugigi picked their way toward the volcano. Omoroca had hidden in the myriad tunnels in the mountain. Only Myomis and Apsu knew them well enough to find her.

Myomis cursed as he was hurled roughly from his feet by a hard tremor. He looked up at the death gliders pounding mercilessly on the volcano. The fortress was all but destroyed now, only pockets of soldiers left to fight. The few townsfolk left had mostly been killed. They did not know of the gates to the mainland, and could therefore escape only by boats. The small craft were easily picked off by death gliders.

The volcanic crater had all but collapsed. Myomis shook his head. This would only speed up the destructive process. The sides of the volcano had already begin to bulge in the last few weeks. All of the attacks were sure to cause an eruption. They must hurry.

"My Lord!" Ennugigi spoke quickly, pointing. Myomis's heart caught in his throat. Omoroca was on the surface, fleeing the battle. He ran toward her, ignoring the flaring pains of his wounds, Ennugigi on his heels.

"Mother!" He cried, and she changed her course to intercept Myomis and Ennugigi. The Oannes grabbed his mother up in a tight hug, while Ennugigi stood guard over them.

"My good son, are you well?" Omoroca was devastated by the injuries done to her son by his own family.

"I will be well, mother. We must flee. Belus seeks your life."

"I know, my son. He wishes to conquer all. I fear he has succeeded."

"We will fight him, mother, but this place is no longer safe. Come, we must leave. We can take the seven gates to the safety of the mainland." Myomis took his mother's hand and began to guide her away. He turned back as she pulled on his hand.

"Myomis, what of Lamashtu?"

The Oannes smiled. "Nedu will find her. He has promised me that she will be safe."

Omoroca gave a rare smile in return. "Then she will be so. Nedu is stronger than any man I know."

Together, the trio picked their way toward the shoreline. They would need to descend the cliffs to the caves. These caves led to an underground passage which travelled to the mainland. From there, they could escape and plot their revenge.

At last, they stood on the paths to the caves. They had avoided the guards and minions of Belus by lying low in the low shrubs and brush. Ennugigi had killed a half dozen of Belus's Jaffa, suffering only a minor wound to the leg in the process. They were now only a short walk to a path that wound down to the cliff face to the beach. From there, they would walk to the caves. Myomis stood on the edge of the precipice, looking down and trying to determine the closest cave entrance. Omoroca helped to bind Ennugigi's wound.

They were caught completely unaware as Belus descended from the sky in the strange metal rings of the Goa'uld. With a simple gesture, he struck Myomis with a mighty energy bolt, hurling the Oannes man off of the cliff, into the scalding water below. Ennugigi was thrown a great distance by a second blast, only to be struck again as he rose. The brave warrior fell, unconscious.

Omoroca screamed for her son, and her guard and then turned to face her great-grandson. Fury etched her features and she drew herself up. This time, she would not run.

"And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan. Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on! Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!" Belus roared the ceremonial words of challenge as he and Omoroca readied themselves.

On the shoreline, Myomis dragged himself to consciousness, seared by the water. A volcanic vent had opened near by and the water was approaching the boiling point. Already thick plumes of mist were rising from the surface of the sea, making it difficult to see any distance.

The combatants stumbled as, behind them, the huge volcanic eruption began. The crater blew apart, forming a massive caldera. Gouts of black ash flew into the sky and superheated air rolled down the hillside, killing all in its path. Omoroca and Belus were far enough away that the terrible and deadly clouds would not reach them, but even so, they broke off their battle for a brief moment to stare in wonder at the death throes of the island. Giant streams of magma were thrown into the air by the eruption, looking as if the volcano were spewing shooting stars into the sky.

At the base of the cliffs, Myomis reached the shore, and tried to force himself upright. The volcanic eruption had caused a massive lightning storm to form. Strong winds were buffeting the waves, spraying him with the hot water. He coughed harshly, his body nearing the limits of its ability to function. He drew strength from his anger and despair. His mother and Ennugigi were at the top of the cliff. He knew that he had to reach them and stop Belus, though it might cost him his life. Hunched over, he made his way laboriously up the path to the top of the cliff. Reaching the top, he dropped to his hands and knees, suddenly unable to catch his breath.

The death gliders swooped out of the sky again, decimating the village and fortress, raining death like lightning bolts upon the soldiers helpless on the field of battle. Omoroca screamed as her troops fell. Belus simply laughed at her rage.

Myomis threw himself sideways as a death glider roared over his position, energy bolts exploding almost at his feet. He screamed as it jolted his broken bones. Blood ran thickly out of his mouth and down his chin. He dug his fingers into the soil as a massive earthquake made the ground heave and pitch. He could still see his mother battling the Goa'uld, Belus. Omoroca fought with the energy devices of the Oannes. It was these devices that the Goa'uld had adapted to make their hand devices. He silently cheered as she threw Belus across a clearing, nearly over the cliff's edge.

The Goa'uld caught himself at the last moment, straightening up with fury writ large across his face. A secondary quake threw Omoroca off her feet. Myomis screamed as Belus took advantage of this momentary weakness and used a staff weapon, discarded by some fallen Jaffa, to blast his nemesis. Omoroca spun as the weapon opened a huge hole in her belly and she crumpled to the ground.

Another explosion threw all of the fighters from their feet. The caldera enlarged, ash and magma spilling out onto the flanks of the volcano. It looked like the mountain had been torn asunder, heaving in its death throes, blood spilling across violated flesh. Belus had truly defeated them.

Belus was slow to gain his feet. The battle with Omoroca had weakened and wounded him. Myomis managed to scramble forward the last few feet and tackled the Goa'uld, driving him to the ground. Again and again he struck, snapping the younger man's head back, splashing blood in the air.

Belus's fist caught Myomis in the throat, and the Oannes arched backward. In that split second of weakness, Belus brought up his hand device and unleashed his wrath upon his great-uncle. Myomis howled as the brilliant golden light crashed into his skull, tearing his mind apart. He knelt at the Goa'uld's feet, helpless as his life ebbed away, blood dripping from his nose and ears.

He slumped to the ground as the light disappeared and Belus collapsed backwards. Ennugigi had awoken and found his staff weapon, dealing a blow to Belus every bit as devastating as the blow the Goa'uld had given Omoroca. Belus cried out and crawled to his knees. He slammed down a button on his hand device and the great rings crashed down upon him, bearing him away to safety.

Ennugigi stood and watched helplessly as the great ship hovered overhead. Either arrogance or malice held Belus's hand and the Goa'uld pulled away, leaving Ennugigi to watch Omoroca and Myomis die as the volcano slipped into the sea.

The large man had no such plans. He put his head back and roared defiantly at the skies. He made his way to Omoroca, gathering the tall woman in his arms. On legs made unsteady by wounds and by the heaving of the dying volcano, he picked his way to Myomis.

The younger Oannes moaned piteously as Ennugigi nudged his shoulder with a booted foot. "My Lord!" He called harshly, making Omoroca twitch in his arms. "We must depart. Can you stand, my Lord?"

Myomis groaned and rolled over on to his belly, stifling his cry of pain. He reached deep within and found hitherto unknown reserves of strength, pulling himself to his knees. Eyes closed, he gripped Ennugigi's arm and made it to his feet. He bowed his head and coughed wetly, spitting blood on the earth.

"Can you walk, my Lord?" Ennugigi asked as gently as he could.

Myomis gave a little smile. "I am well, Ennugigi. Thank you. Please, lead the way." Myomis made a weak fillip with his fingers. Ennugigi, solid and sombre, merely raised an eyebrow before picking his way down to the path, Myomis stumbling along behind.

They were forced to jog the last few feet as the cliff face gave in, nearly on top of them, and buried the cave entrance. Myomis forced his aching body onward to the first gate, before collapsing, barely breathing. There was no sign of Nedu and Lamashtu. Myomis hoped beyond hope that they had escaped. The beach caves were, of course, not the only entranced to the underground. Perhaps his most loyal guardian and his wife might yet make it.

"How fares... my mother?" He forced out, between gasps.

Ennugigi looked up. He had torn his tunic to make bandages for Omoroca. Myomis had refused his aid, wrapping his arms around his damaged chest and retreating. "She is badly wounded, my Lord. It would be best if we could find a place for both of you to rest and heal."

Myomis waved his clawed hand. "I will be well. Take her through the gates. Find the chamber in the great hall on the mainland. It will keep her stable until we can heal her." He coughed, hiding the blood with a clenched fist. "Go. I will stay and await Nedu." His eyes met Ennugigi's briefly, before sliding away to examine the wall. "I am well."

"You are most clearly not well, my Lord." The Jaffa replied. He looked down the tunnel and back at Myomis. "It is quite possible that Nedu and Lamashtu have been captured or-"

"Do not." Myomis wheezed, painfully. If he thought like that, he'd give up and would quickly die.

Ennugigi bowed his head. "Of course. Shall we try to continue?"

Myomis crawled painfully up the wall, and followed the large Jaffa as he guided them through the gates. They walked for several hours, reaching the third gate, before Ennugigi turned and pressed Myomis against the wall. "Someone comes, my Lord." The trio receded into the shadows of a smaller side tunnel and waited as a small band approached.

Had he the strength, Myomis might have cried out with joy, but instead, all he could do was gasp and sag weakly against the rocky walls. The gasp was soft, but the trained ears of the captain of the guard caught it, and he put up an arm, stopping his charges.

"Who goes there?" He barked. He held a long staff weapon before him, primed and ready.

"Nedu!" Ennugigi called, emerging from the shadows, Omoroca still in his arms.

The captain's face nearly split in two with a wide and almost unheard of smile. The smile faded as he looked around. "Where is Myomis?"

"Here." The wounded Oannes rasped, too dizzy with relief to pull himself off the ground. His smile was as wide as Nedu's though.

"Myomis!" A female voice cried out, and a small, slim figure darted around Nedu and hurled herself at the seated man.

"Lamashtu." Myomis's voice broke with relief as he held his beautiful wife in his arms again. The woman had been nicknamed 'the demon' by her enemies. Her solid beauty masked a core of iron. She was smart and deadly, capable of defeating enemies many times her size. Myomis touched her cheek, looking deeply into her soft eyes.

She was a full human, an albino, with marble white hair and skin, and shocking blue eyes. It was a genetic anomaly that made her an outcast among the sturdy mocha skinned people of the region, and added to her unearthly allure. Myomis found her to be the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He could spend hours staring at their contrasting bodies. He loved watching the play of muscles under her white skin as his greenish hands rested on her cheek, her belly, her legs. His black hair was dark against her white blonde curls as he rested his cheek on her head.

He was not human, but he could almost pass for human... at least in the general shape of the species. His face was human enough, save for his sharp teeth and the fact that his eyes were a uniform blue colour, without any white in them. It was as great a surprise to him as to her when she became pregnant with their first child, which turned out to be the double blessing of twins. They had not questioned their good fortune too deeply, simply marvelled in it and in their love.

Her lips met his in a decidedly unchaste kiss. She was almost frantic with worry. "I thought you dead... gone." Tears glistened in her eyes.

"I waited for you." He whispered. They finally broke apart to allow the two children to approach. They flung themselves at their father with abandon. The boys were half Oannes, half human. They had their father's dark hair, and the dark skin of their mother's people. Their eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue, and they had neither claws nor scales.

Nedu allowed a brief moment of family bliss, before he knelt next to his lord and touched Myomis's hair with a calloused hand. "My Lord, we must go." Myomis looked up at him and nodded. His eyes conveyed his eternal thanks for Nedu's work in saving his wife and children.

The children backed away, and Lamashtu allowed Nedu to help her husband to his feet. "Damn this!" Nedu swore as he got a clearer look at Myomis's wounded body.

"We found Belus." Myomis whispered, leaning his head against Nedu's shoulder briefly. "He escaped."

Nedu's sure fingers touched the spreading burn on Myomis's forehead. "Damn him." He grated.

Myomis shook his head. "Please, we should leave. Omoroca needs to be placed in the healing chamber."

Together, they made their way through the endless tunnels to the mainland. Lamashtu went first, weapons at the ready. She killed four Jaffa that somehow wandered in to the tunnels. Myomis followed her, one arm over Nedu's shoulder, leaning on the sturdy man for strength. The children came behind their father, and Ennugigi was last, Omoroca cradled in his arms.

Faint tremors rocked the ground softly. They were far enough away now not to risk the terrible destruction that had decimated the island, and the palace was well-built and sheltered. Myomis was nearly unconscious on his feet when they arrived. Still, he refused to be treated first, Healing would take days, and Omoroca was his first concern. Lamashtu disagreed, but she respected her husband's wishes. They camped in the central chamber of the great hall. Nedu and Ennugigi searched the abandoned palace around them and found medical supplies and food.

Myomis fell into a fitful rest, bandages covering half his body. Nedu had splinted his broken bones, soothed his burns and bound his wounds. Lamashtu's lips had thinned as she beheld the terrible damage dealt to her husband. She and Nedu exchanged meaningful glances. Lamashtu swore to devote her life to the defeat of their enemies.

They awoke the next night to the horrible sound of footsteps echoing through the empty palace. Myomis gasped as he pulled himself to a seated position. Nedu had scouted and returned. There were dozens of Belus's Jaffa descending on their position.

The Oannes flailed out, grasping Nedu's arm. "Help me." He cried hoarsely. The guard gripped his arm and guided Myomis to his feet. Myomis pulled himself up to the healing chamber, with Omoroca inside. He pulled out two metal pieces from the lid of the chamber. It would put Omoroca in stasis, halting the healing process. If Belus and his Jaffa found them now, they would only have to wait until Omoroca would heal, and then the chamber would open on its own. Myomis could not risk his mother falling into the hands of his enemy. He gave one key to Ennugigi, one to Nedu. "Keep these safe. Ennugigi, guard Lamashtu. Nedu, keep my sons safe."

"No!" Lamashtu cried, understanding what Myomis intended. The Oannes silenced his wife's cry with a kiss, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly.

He pulled back and touched his forehead to hers. "Lamashtu, you must. I can destroy the palace from here. This chamber will remain intact. I have food and water. I will make my way out later and meet up with you in the safety of the old palace. Ennugigi will guide you there. We will all return later, and free my mother, so you must keep the keys safe." He hated lying to his wife, but she would not leave otherwise.

He broke away and turned to the stasis chamber. He took one last piece from it, a golden piece of artwork in beautiful geometric patterns with a glass vial held in a delicate matrix. He placed the end of the vial against his arm, and hissed as a needle slid out from the piece and pierced his skin. The vial filled with his blue-hued blood. He placed the vial back on the surface of the compartment where a little of the blood was drawn into the machinery of the healing chamber.

He then gave the piece to Lamashtu. "Nedu will explain this when you are safe, but it is important." He took his wife's face in his hands, and stared into her frightened blue eyes. "I must stay, Lamashtu. Only the blood of the Oannes can set off the device that will destroy the palace." He smiled sadly, a tear welling up in his eye. "I will be well, my wife." He kissed her again, their lips soft, fighting for control in trying circumstances. "I love you."

"I love you, Myomis. I will wait for you until I am old and ugly."

Myomis laughed. "You will never be ugly, beloved." He looked at their children. They stared solemnly up at their father. "You must be strong for your mother. Be wary and be wise. You must carry on the work of your grandparents. Keep this world and its… Tau'ri," His gaze briefly met Ennugigi's. "Safe. I love you."

The two boys threw themselves against him, wrapping their thin arms around his legs and crying. He touched their heads softly. Finally, Lamashtu pulled them away, leaving him to speak with his loyal guards.

"Ennugigi... I thank you for your loyalty and your strength. Guard Lamashtu well. She will need your level head." Behind Ennugigi, Lamashtu made an outraged sound, but her eyes smiled at him.

"I will devote my life to keeping her safe, my Lord. Should the opportunity not arise to tell you this later, I wish you to know that I consider it a great honour to serve you and your family."

"You are like my family to me, Ennugigi. I only wish those of my blood had your strength of character and directness of purpose." The two clasped forearms and looked into each other's eyes until Ennugigi bowed his head and backed away.

Finally, it came time for Nedu to step forward. The older guard brought his hands up and cupped Myomis's face. The two men smiled briefly.

"You have been like a brother to me, Nedu. I trust my sons to you. Guard them and Lamashtu well."

"I will stay with you." Nedu rasped, unable to pull himself away from Myomis's side.

Tears now spilled from Myomis's eyes as he shook his head. "Nedu, please." The warrior pulled the Oannes into a tight hug. They clung together for a long moment until Myomis gently pushed Nedu back. "They will be here soon. Go. I shall stay and guard your retreat as best I am able."

"Myomis." Nedu pleaded, but the Oannes refused to be moved.

"Go." He whispered. Nedu bowed his head and turned. He and Lamashtu guided the children while Ennugigi went first to clear the path. Myomis watched them leave, only sagging against the stone chamber as the door slid shut behind his family and friends.

He pulled his aching frame up. He had not lied in this. Only the blood of Oannes could activate the destructive mechanism that would pull down the walls of this palace, burying any intruders within its high stone wall. He had lied about the effect on this room though. It would become a tomb. The chamber would survive, meaning that Omoroca would survive. However, it would probably take months, if not years, to expose this room. Myomis would not survive the destruction.

He closed his eyes. He wanted desperately to stay with his wife, his children and his friends. In this, though, he had no choice. Omoroca would survive. She was the strongest and wisest of the Oannes. She would be the one to help these people, these Tau'ri repel the Goa'uld. This was a goal worthy of the sacrifice of his life.

He prepared the explosives, pressing the symbols on the wall. When that was done, he slumped. Only one symbol needed to be depressed and the entire building would fall. He waited until the Jaffa burst into the room.

He smiled as the bolt from the staff weapon tore open his chest and threw him back onto the controls. As his dead body slid sideways to the ground, the last button depressed, and the palace fell in on itself, burying all within.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Eight **_

Daniel twitched, slowly coming awake. The other members of SG1 pulled themselves upright from their posts around the infirmary room. Daniel had been unconscious for over sixteen hours. It was now evening, and the team had spent a long anxious day waiting for their friend to come back to them, not knowing if it would be Myomis or Daniel looking out from those clear, blue eyes.

Doctor Mackenzie had come by when Daniel's dreams had turned into horrific nightmares. The young man had convulsed and screamed, throwing himself from side to side trying to escape unknown enemies. His blood pressure had spiked, his fever had climbed and his vital signs had grown dangerously erratic.

Jack just about blew the infirmary apart when Janet revealed that Mackenzie had administered some anti-psychotic drugs in an attempt to control the Myomis delusions. Sam had been calmer, but the set of her jaw and her down-turned glances showed that she was not happy. Teal'c, as always, was inscrutable.

Despite their objections, midway through the morning, Daniel had finally calmed down and fallen into a deep, healing sleep. Janet had announced joyfully that, as far as she could read on the monitors, Daniel had managed to fall into a deep REM state. Almost ten hours later, he was stirring. Jack was the first to step forward. He took Daniel's hand in his own, his other hand touching the young man's shoulder. Sam smoothed back his long, sweat-soaked hair. Teal'c stood at the foot of the bed, his hand on Daniel's leg.

With a low groan, Daniel's blue eyes opened and he turned to look at Jack. His expression turned from confusion to relief. "Nedu." He whispered. His gaze twisted sideways as Teal'c's hand tightened on his ankle. "Ennugigi?"

"Oh, Daniel." Sam whispered, causing him to jerk around and stare wide-eyed at her.

"Lamashtu?" His smile was dazzling, full of helpless love. He nuzzled his cheek into the palm of her hand and closed his eyes. Sam and Jack exchanged worried glances over their bedridden team-mate's head.

"Whoa." With a grunt, Daniel pulled himself upright on the bed, almost tugging out the IV line again.

"Hey, hey, Myomis. Stop." Sam tried to keep him still. Her hand dropped as the archaeologist's hand crept up to his face, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed tightly.

Jack spoke first. "Daniel?" His voice was low, trying not to startle the other man.

"Oh, wow." Daniel's head came up, and he squinted at Jack. "Oh, wow." He repeated. "Jack, you would not believe some of the dreams I've been having."

He jumped as Sam whispered his name softly, and pulled him into a hug. Jack clapped his shoulder and whispered 'yeah' under his breath. Even Teal'c almost smiled, and his grip on Daniel's ankle became momentarily tighter.

"Wha-?" Daniel fish-mouthed eloquently. "Guys? Not that this is unpleasant, but what's going on?" He patted Sam's shoulder awkwardly.

Sam sat back. This was as hard to explain to Daniel as it was to Myomis. Jack stepped up again. "You've been a little off lately, Daniel." He said, shoving his hands in his pocket as he looked down at the younger man.

"Off?" The archaeologist repeated, looking around. "Off, how?" Nobody knew how to respond to that, and Daniel's eyebrows crept up at the sheer volume of concern his friends were displaying. "I remember being sick." He looked from person to person, trying to divine the answers to his questions from their sombre faces. "Come on, guys. I think I have a right to know. 'Off' how? Off-kilter, off base. Off world? Give me a hint here, I mean I think I smell like I might be a little off my expiration date, but nothing a shower won't solve, I'm sure." He tried to smile, keeping the tone light, but not even that worked.

His smile dropped and he started to frown as his friends chose not to answer him, and instead started exchanging worried looks. Almost instinctively, Daniel started to worry the skin of his thumb with his fingernail, as he pondered possible reasons for their silence. "Janet!" The three standing members of SG1 jumped as Daniel, tired of wheedling information from his friends, yelled for his doctor. They all swung guiltily around as she came in at as fast a run as her heels would allow.

Her smile was broad, quickly morphing to a look of concern. "Oh, now, not you too." Daniel sighed, exasperated. "They won't tell me anything. Don't you legally have to tell me what's going on, or something?"

"How are you?" Janet asked, putting the back of her hand against Daniel's forehead.

Now getting obstinate, Daniel pulled away and frowned. "Why don't you tell me, Doctor?"

Sam looked back at him. "Daniel, the last couple of times you woke up, you weren't yourself." She and Jack exchanged glances. The fact that Doctor Mackenzie had administered some mind-bending miracle potion on Daniel just before this reawakening was not lost on them. If Myomis was simply a figment of Daniel's mind, they didn't want to throw him back into it.

"What? Did I do something?" His eyes widened. Only one thing could have his friends so concerned. "Wait, 'not myself'? Oh God! Jack!" His voice was terrified as both hands clapped to the back of his neck, feeling for the entrance scar. Jack's heart wrenched painfully. He definitely did not mean for that to happen. He sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing for Daniel's hands. "Jack, oh my God, no. How did it? Where? Did I hurt anyone?" Daniel was headed for a full-blown panic attack.

"Daniel!" Jack barked, trying to get his attention. "No, there's no Goa'uld. You're clean." Terrified blue eyes stared into his hard brown ones for a long moment, Daniel's hands still on the back of his neck. Daniel was perfectly still, caught between 'submit' and 'flee'.

"Daniel, God, we're sorry. Listen." Sam sat on the other side. She claimed one of Daniel's hands. "The last couple of times you woke up, you were calling yourself Myomis. You addressed everyone in Akkadian." She fetched the notepad covered in symbols. "You wrote this."

Daniel frowned down at the paper, and then back up to Sam, Teal'c and Jack. Realisation hit, and the archaeologist did his best landed walleye impression; eyes wide open, mouth opening and closing soundlessly. "But, that was my dream!" He looked down at the paper. "How could I speak Akkadian. I can't speak Akkadian! I can puzzle it out with a half dozen reference books, but I can't speak it." He pushed away the note paper. "I can read it, but you're talking about near fluent linguistics here."

"You wrote this, Daniel." San pulled the paper back.

"That's not even my hand-writing, that's yours." He pointed to some of the notations she had made while teaching Myomis the word for day and the numbers. He shook his head.

"You wrote this one." Sam said, pointing to the few scattered English words and names that Myomis had learned.

Daniel grinned, trying to catch the joke. "That's not my handwriting, Sam. None of it is."

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c broke in before panic could once again ensue. "You mentioned something about genetic memory. Could you possibly have been acting out your dreams?"

The linguist's hand crept to his temple, massaging it. "Wait, this is too much. Everyone, stop." Frantic glances were thrown around the room.

"Headache?" Jack's voice croaked a little. Not now. They'd just got him back.

Leaning back against the pillows, Daniel nodded. He frowned, eyes tightly shut. "It's not too bad. Just stress, I guess. I need you guys to explain everything to me." He covered his eyes with his hands. "And I'm not feeling too hot right now. Better make it small, small words."

- - - - -

It had taken an hour to explain the last few days to Daniel. The young man shook his head. Of course, the genetic memory idea had been his theory, but it was astounding to think it might actually come true. Nobody had been brave enough to bring up Mackenzie and his 'psychotic episode' theory. If 'Myomis' never reappeared, then everyone would just have to learn to live with the mystery of his origins. Jack, for one, was not missing the Akkadian- Oannes- whatever. There was the sticky issue of continuing to medicate Daniel to deal with these flashbacks, and Jack wasn't looking forward to bringing that topic up. Their primary concern now was Daniel's health. Physical first, and then mental.

By the time they had sort of scratched the surface of the whole tale, Daniel was blinking sleepily and trying to wheedle a cup of coffee from Janet. It was his turn to explain his dreams. He gave it his best shot. Jack didn't even interrupt his rambling speech and frequent tangents, he was that relieved to have Daniel back.

"So, the upshot is Lamashtu, Nedu and Ennugigi escaped, and Myomis... died. I need my computer and some of my books. Jack?" He turned pleading eyes on his commander.

Jack nodded briskly. "Sure, Daniel. Later." Much later. As in, 'when we're sure you're over this' later. He put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't you think that you should be resting now?"

Daniel waved him away absently. "I'm fine, Jack." He twisted in the bed, looking at Sam. "This is amazing, Sam." He took the paper and tapped meaningfully on it. "Nem's device somehow managed to pull out the memories of Myomis." He shook his head. "Myomis. A character right out of mythology. Imagine what we could find out if..."

"Daniel." Jack said firmly. "That 'memory' has had you on the ropes for a week. Ahh!" He interrupted harshly as Daniel opened his mouth to object, holding up his hand. "You need to rest. They've waited four thousand years, Daniel. They can wait another day or two."

"Jack." Daniel frowned reproachfully, but he lay back in his bed. Almost against his will, his eyes started to close. He grumbled under his breath, like an over-tired child, and fought it, twitching a little.

"Sleep, Daniel."

"Nrgh." Daniel muttered, trying one last tactic. "I know where Omoroca is now. We can..." The last was lost in a breathy sigh as Daniel finally succumbed to sleep and relaxed. The mysteries of the Oannes would have to wait for another day. Jack smoothed back his bangs from his face and shook his head.

"Sweet dreams."

- - - - -

_**Chapter Nine**_

The infirmary was quiet. All of the SG teams managed to escape their offworld tours relatively unscathed. Only one bed was currently occupied, although a small army surrounded it.

Jack was worried, but not as worried as he had been earlier. Daniel was himself again. He just hoped it lasted. The archaeologist had emerged from his dreams as if nothing had happened, like he hadn't been scaring the crap out of them for the last week.

Jack rubbed a hand over his mouth, stopping the fond grin that threatened to start. Daniel had been _excited_ by the whole thing, dammit. _Get me my books, my computer_. He wanted to research this thing in his head. The colonel sighed, touching his hand softly to Daniel's forehead, comfort in the guise of checking for a fever.

"He looks a lot better, sir." Carter said softly, from her chair across the bed. Teal'c, sitting on a chair by another bed attempting to kel-no-reem, turned his head slightly but made no comment.

"He _is_ a lot better, Carter." Jack emphasised. Daniel would be fine. It was stress, the flu and the last dregs of whatever Nem's machine did to him. Jack, himself, was still shaking off the last bits of the flashbacks. Someone in the cafeteria had opened a bottle of pop that afternoon, only to have it fizz up and overflow. Jack felt like his world stopped as those horrible cries rang out in his ears again. He'd double-timed it back to the infirmary, only the dignity of his rank stopping him from indulging in a flat-out run. His heart had only slowed to a normal rhythm when he made it to Daniel's bed, touching the younger man's shoulder hesitantly.

A half an hour later, Carter hotfooted it back to the infirmary, despite orders to get some sleep. She was still wet and rumpled, droplets of water clinging to the ends of her hair. Ah… the shower. Sometimes the shampoo lather circling down the drain had the same effect on him. He was learning to shower with his eyes closed. Carter's eyes were a little wide and concerned, and she immediately came to Daniel's side, checking up on him. They no longer worried about making it look casual. Why bother? It was happening to all of them.

If the effects were that persistent in them, what could Daniel be going through? Whatever it was, SG1 would be here for him. Daniel was the original Magic Ball, nothing could stop him from bouncing back. This would be no different.

Janet had assured them all that Daniel was just sleeping. He was worn out, and still fighting off the last of that bad flu. They would discuss a course of treatment with him when he woke up, something to rid him of the Myomis delusions. Jack had grimaced at that but said nothing. Let the poor man get his bearings before you start medicating him into another reality.

"Hrrmm." A sleepy voice emerged from the bed. "Jack?"

"I'm here, Daniel." The linguist's team-mates closed ranks, crowding around his bed as he yawned and opened his eyes.

- - - - -

At the same time, a more serious meeting was being held in General Hammond's office. The General was reading over a report from Doctors Mackenzie and Fraiser, concerning the potential causes of Daniel Jackson's collapse, and its long term treatment.

"What exactly are you saying, Doctor Mackenzie?" Hammond asked, somewhat impatiently. Mackenzie was obviously trying to spare his feelings, but had simply ended up being obtuse. He respected Mackenzie as a professional, but if he was honest, he had to admit that psychiatrists made him just a little nervous. One couldn't help but wonder if they were evaluating _you_.

Mackenzie looked over his glasses at the General and then cocked his head. "Well, sir, my main concern is that Doctor Jackson may be exhibiting an early manifestation of a psychosis or some sort of delusional disorder. My fear is that we may be witnessing the onset of schizophrenia."

Hammond looked abruptly up at the psychiatrist. "Are you serious?"

The doctor spread his hands wide, and met the General's gaze. "Sir, early symptoms of schizophrenia include tension and the inability to sleep or concentrate. They appear to be distracted, off course in their lives. They don't pay much attention to their personal appearance. They often shun physical contact, even being unable to make simple eye contact."

Janet shook her head. "With all due respect, Doctor Mackenzie, you could be describing any number of graduate students and computer programmers." She smiled tightly, trying to lighten the mood.

Mackenzie refused to be baited. "Those are the early signs. What about communication difficulties, delusions, hallucinations and drastic changes in behaviour and habits? Doctor Jackson's 'Myomis' personality is a profound break from his normal behavioural pattern."

Hammond did not reply, although his frown grew deeper.

"General, Doctor Fraiser reported that Doctor Jackson's serotonin levels were out of balance. I'd like to check his dopamine as well. This can help us try to narrow down the causes of his behaviour."

"Doctor Mackenzie." General Hammond spoke slowly, marshalling his thoughts. "Is it not possible that this is, as Colonel O'Neill suggests, simply a temporary aberration caused by the effect of Nem's memory device? In time, the symptoms may decrease and disappear, much as they seem to be doing with Doctor Jackson's team-mates. There is also the added complication of his high fever."

"I wish that were true, General, but in Doctor Jackson's case, the symptoms are getting _more_ pronounced, not less." Mackenzie shuffled through his papers. "His nightmares are becoming violent. Nurses report an extremely agitated sleep cycle, aggressive actions upon awakening, a sense of disorientation and confusion. This Myomis personality is becoming more assertive and interactive, pushing the real Doctor Jackson out of place."

Mackenzie folded his hands. "As the base psychiatrist, I felt it incumbent upon me to attempt to treat Doctor Jackson, and I have started him on a course of haloperidol. Usually it will take some time and experimentation to develop an actual course of medication for a patient, however, Doctor Jackson is responding well to the haloperidol."

Janet broke in, nodding. "Haloperidol can have some severe consequences and side-effects. We'll have to watch for signs of tremors, seizures or vertigo. The drug can also cause headaches." She paused. "Haloperidol can be used short-term. General Hammond, I would like to see if the effects diminish over time before committing Daniel to a course of medication that may prove to be life-long. In all honesty, Doctor Jackson has not been awake long enough to fully evaluate any effects of the medication."

Hammond mulled over his findings. "What does Doctor Jackson say about all of this?" He asked softly.

Janet and Mackenzie exchanged looks. Mackenzie spoke first. "Doctor Jackson has not yet been informed of his options."

- - - - -

Daniel stretched luxuriously and inched upright until he could sit. Jack and Sam supported him on either side until he was stable.

"How you doing?" Jack asked with only a slight hesitation.

Daniel pondered the question and then nodded briefly. "Good. Yeah. I think I'm finally over that…" He made a little motion with his hand while his mind sought out the appropriate word. "That death flu of mine."

Jack tilted his head, rocking back on his heels thoughtfully. "Death flu? Daniel, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate."

Daniel ducked his head and grinned. "Hey, be kind to the infirm. I, uh, don't suppose I could beg a glass of water from someone?" He turned big, pleading eyes on Sam, who immediately leapt to his rescue, returning with a cup of cold water and a straw.

He drank the water down while his friends stood silently. When he was done, Sam passed his glass to Teal'c, who returned it to a bed-side table. Jack spoke first.

"So, how you doing?" He repeated the question he asked earlier, hoping Daniel would grasp the change in meaning.

For his part, the archaeologist looked up at him, and then to Sam and Teal'c. He closed his eyes, dropping his head until his chin rested on his chest. "You mean the um, Myomis thing, right?"

Jack, standing now, shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Yeah, Daniel. The Myomis thing. How is it?"

Daniel started picking at the blanket, pulling imaginary pieces of lint from its rough surface. "Well, I don't remember claiming to be Myomis, if that makes a difference. I can remember my dreams as Myomis, but I don't recall writing any of that." He waved his hand in the direction of the notepad. Nobody had taken it to Haller yet. Daniel paused and stared at his fingers before looking over at Jack. "I don't suppose you have a cup of coffee handy, do you?"

Sam grinned. "You'll have to wait for Janet's okay before we let you have that. How about some more water?"

Daniel pursed his lips, disappointed. "Coffee has water in it." He gave it one last shot.

"I don't think it's your water intake that's the issue here, Danny." Jack grinned.

"Oh." Daniel looked around. "You know guys, I'm really feeling better. Any chance of getting me out of here?"

The other three team members exchanged glances. Sam motioned for Jack to take the lead. "Well, Daniel, there's this little matter of you having seizures and speaking in tongues. Until we figure out whether to call a doctor or a priest, I think you need to stay here." Jack's words were flippant, but his tone was gentle.

"Jack. I'm fine. This was obviously something related to Nem's machine." His head jerked up like he suddenly remembered something. "Wait. You guys were in the machine too. Are you having any side-effects?"

The Colonel's mouth twisted in a grimace. "Some." He grated, not wanting to explain how repeatedly watching Daniel burning to death could be considered a mere 'side-effect'.

"Well, there you go. It's just a side-effect." Daniel made a little dismissive gesture with his hands. "Where's Janet?"

"I'll get her, Daniel." Carter ducked her head and left, glad to avoid having to tell Daniel that he was infirmary-bound for the near future.

- - - - -

"Doctor Jackson!" Janet called her greetings merrily, striding toward the infirmary bunk. Her heels made a staccato rhythm on the hard tile floors. "Good to see you up and alert. How are you feeling?"

Daniel smiled. "Fine, really. I was just saying to Jack that I'd like to get out of here soon."

"Well, we'll see about that." Janet answered noncommittally, making free with Daniel's reflexes. "Any dreams? How did you sleep?"

"Fine, and no dreams. I think this thing has run its course. I'm fine." He looked her in the eye for a long moment. "Really."

"Are you a doctor?" Janet finally asked, a stern tone creeping in to her voice.

"Well, yes, but not the kind I assume you mean."

"And do I tell you how to do your job?" Janet gripped his wrist lightly and checked his pulse. Daniel lifted his eyebrows. Considering he was hooked up to a machine that beeped along with his heartbeat, it seemed a little futile to do the check by hand.

Janet caught his look. "It's part of the routine, Doctor Jackson. I don't skip steps. That leads to laziness and forgetfulness." She dropped his hand and gave him a gentle glare. "Do I tell you how to do your job?" She repeated.

Daniel relented, ducking his head. "Well you seem to be telling me I _can't_ do my job, and-"

"No, Doctor Fraiser. You don't." Jack broke in loudly at this point, answering for Daniel with a pointed look in the archaeologist's direction.

"Jack…"

"Daniel."

The two men stared briefly at each other. Daniel gave in first, muttering almost under his breath. "No, Doctor Fraiser. You don't." He looked at his hands.

Janet touched his shoulder. "Doctor Jackson, Doctor Mackenzie wants to talk with you for a little while. If you can stay up and alert for a day, then I think we can see about releasing you. Alright?"

Daniel sighed. "Yes, Doctor Fraiser." He said in his 'don't mind me' voice that fooled no one. "You know." He looked over at his physician. "Coffee helps me stay both awake _and_ alert."

"Did I hear you say that you wanted some juice, Daniel?" Janet looked up from her charts and asked with a smile that also fooled no one.

- - - - -

An hour later, Daniel nursed his juice box and finished up the last of his late lunch. He tried to pretend the tangy liquid was coffee… but who was he kidding? His apparent 'delusions' didn't run _that_ far.

Daniel shook his head. He really needed to take this more seriously. In truth though, he found the Myomis incident more fascinating than frightening. It was obviously a result of Nem's memory enhancement machine. Myomis hadn't made a return visit, and Daniel was alone in his head again. Even the dreams had disappeared.

Janet had promised him that if he could stay lucid for the duration of the day, and get a good night sleep, she'd allow him to do some work the next day. In the meantime, he'd convinced Sam, Jack and Teal'c to eat and get a good night's sleep. For the first time, he was all alone. He'd retrieved the notepad and pen from a side table and started recording his dreams and impressions.

He had the feeling that this might be important. Perhaps his dreams would be able to give him enough information to determine Omoroca's true fate. Was it possible that she was still out there somewhere, possibly in suspended animation? Jack was more than a little put out at Daniel's apparent empathy with Nem despite the pain that the blue alien had put them all through. In truth, how could Daniel not empathise? Nem was looking for his wife, taken from him by the Goa'uld over four thousand years ago. Daniel put his pen down and contemplated that. How could he deal with that? His eyes unfocussed as he thought about Sha're, lost somewhere out in the stars.

"… Doctor Jackson?" Daniel's head jerked up.

"Doctor Mackenzie." Daniel looked around. "I'm sorry. I was thinking."

"I called your name several times." Mackenzie looked at Daniel over the rims of his glasses. Daniel could almost see him making notes on his mental notepad. _Failure to react properly with his environment._

"Yes. As I said, I was thinking." Daniel picked up his pen. Mackenzie made him nervous. Probably some inherent Jackson family 'danger sense'. Mackenzie made a little harrumphing noise in his throat. _Difficulties interacting socially._

"I think we should talk, Doctor Jackson."

"Doctor Mackenzie, with all due respect, I don't think you've had enough time to fully form a diagnosis. I feel fine." Daniel twirled his pen in his fingers. _Denial._

"To be honest, Doctor Jackson, you feel fine because you have been receiving an antipsychotic. You were experiencing extremely violent nightmares. I administered haloperidol and your progress has been steadily improving."

Daniel was perfectly still, fist clenched around his pen. "Halo- antipsychotic? You, you think I'm-?" His eyes were wide as he considered the implications.

"I have informed both General Hammond and Doctor Fraiser that my leading concern is that these episodes can possibly mark the onset of a schizophrenic state."

"Oh." Daniel forced his hands to relax, and placed the notepad and pen on the table. "No." His hand then crept up to the bridge of his nose. "No, this is the result of Nem's machine. Jack and Sam and Teal'c are still experiencing flashbacks. Of course this is something like that."

"The fact is, Doctor Jackson, they are getting better. You are not." Mackenzie spoke bluntly, hoping that facts would sway the intelligent man where reasoning would not.

"I'm fine." Daniel whispered automatically.

"Denial of symptoms is one of the more typical behaviours for schizophrenia patients, as is the refusal to continue treatment."

"Ah, so if I submit to your diagnosis, I'm insane. If I don't submit, I'm insane. Tell me, Doctor Mackenzie, does the psychiatric profession still recognise the concept of the catch-22?" Daniel frowned, unhappy.

"This is not helping, Doctor Jackson." Mackenzie continued in his maddening, reasonable tone.

"Actually, Doctor, _you're_ not helping. Could you leave me, please? I have a headache." Daniel had to fight hard to keep an anxious note out of his voice.

"That may be the result of the haloperidol. We can raise or lower the dosage over the next weeks, until we find a suitable level for you. If you prefer, we can switch to a pill instead of the injections."

"What if I don't want the medicine, and what right do you have dosing me without my permission?"

"Doctor Jackson, you were delusional, unresponsive and borderline hysteric. In cases where the patient proves a danger to themselves or others, and is incapable of acting in their own best interests, I am allowed to step in. This is the same as an emergency room doctor treating an unconscious patient."

Daniel licked his lips. "A danger?" His anger evaporated, replaced by concern. "Did I hurt someone?"

"I noticed you licking your lips. The side-effects of the medicine may cause dry mouth. If that is the case, I can get you some water…"

"No!" Daniel turned pointedly away. "No, God. Stop. Just leave. Not everything I do needs to be _analysed_ and _classified_ and, and _explained_. I'm fine, Doctor Mackenzie, and I want you to stop your medication. I want it all to stop."

"That would be unwise."

"I'm fine!" Daniel's arms curled around his chest and he drew his knees up. "I don't need this."

"Doctor Jackson, we can stop your medication, but when your symptoms return, they could be more severe. If you continue to refuse treatment and your symptoms return, we may have to move you to Mental Health."

"No!" Daniel rocked forward, dropping his forehead to his knees, and wrapping his arms around his shins, in a defensive ball.

"Daniel?" Jack entered at a jog, having heard his team-mate's distressed call from the infirmary door. He stopped by the bed and took in the scene of Daniel curled up and miserable and Doctor Mackenzie looking calm and serious. "Okay, Doctor, I think you can go now." Jack moved around the bed and touched his hand to Mackenzie's elbow, pointedly guiding him to the door.

The psychiatrist did not give up. "Doctor Jackson, it is very important that you continue your treatment. I will need to see you tomorrow for an evaluation. Come by my office in the afternoon." His tone made it clear that it was not a request.

"Alright, fine." Jack said brusquely, all but pushing Mackenzie away. He stood and made sure the doctor left before turning back to Daniel. He cocked his head, hands in his pockets. He didn't want to reach out to Daniel physically yet, it might spook him. He tried throwing him a verbal line first.

"You okay?"

"Does it matter?" Daniel's voice was muffled, his head hidden in the protective curl of his body.

"Dammit, Daniel. Of course it matters!" Jack frowned.

Daniel rolled his head from side to side on his knees. "Everything I say just confirms a theory they have about me, and if I say nothing, it's worse. I'm tired, Jack and I can't figure out what they want me to say. How do you prove that you're sane when simply believing that you're sane proves you're insane?"

"Hey. Daniel, nobody thinks that of you."

"Mackenzie does." Daniel lifted his head and looked at Jack. "He put me on an antipsychotic. That means he thinks I'm psychotic, Jack." The Colonel grimaced. Daniel frowned. "You're not surprised. You knew. God!" Daniel's head dropped back to his knees.

Jack felt this conversation spinning rapidly out of his control. "I don't- Daniel. Listen. I thought that Nem's machine had knocked you for a loop. I figured that this medicine might help straighten things out until the symptoms subsided on their own. That's all." He risked touching Daniel's shoulder, and was relieved when the younger man did not pull away. "Come on, Daniel. Look at me."

Jack could see Daniel's shoulders lift as he sighed, then raised his head. Jack moved his hand up to the back of Daniel's neck and squeezed gently. "It'll be okay, Daniel."

The archaeologist smiled wanly. "Get Janet for me, please. I want these machines gone, and the IV out."

Jack made a quick face. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Please. I want to be me again, and this isn't helping me."

Jack could have argued, but he refrained. Daniel didn't see how he was screaming, caught in that last horrible nightmare. He didn't know that he'd thrown Jack halfway across the room. Daniel was himself again, and maybe he had the drugs to thank for it. Jack didn't know. He nodded, in the end, and headed for the door. Daniel's voice called him back.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, Daniel."

"I'm not sick. You have to believe me. Don't let them take me away. Please, Jack."

Jack nodded. "Yeah."

"Promise me?"

"Yeah." He gave Daniel a smile and turned to search for Fraiser, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Daniel frowned. Far from the enthusiastic assurances he'd been hoping for, but it would have to do.

Janet came quickly and pursed her lips as she contemplated Daniel's request. Ultimately, she agreed. He was healthy enough that he no longer needed the IV drip and the fluids. Right now, they wanted to monitor his mood and his sleep. The machines wouldn't be of much help there.

Daniel was quiet for the rest of the day. He wrote frantically for a long while and then, claiming that he had a headache, he turned in early.

- - - - -


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Ten**_

Jack stood in the control room and watched SG4 come through the gate. They'd gone to Oannes. Privately, Jack thought SG1 should have gone, but Doctor Mackenzie wasn't allowing Daniel to go offworld yet. With their linguist on enforced downtime, there wouldn't be much SG1 could do on Oannes. SG4 had Haller with them, as well as having two members of the team with diving certifications. They'd gone looking for Nem, going right to the alien's home if necessary.

From the grim looks on their faces, they hadn't succeeded.

He trotted down the stairs and into the gate room. He found SG4's commanding officer. "So, how'd it go?"

The major shook his head. "No go, sir. We found the structure where you said, but it was locked up tight. We tried some Morse code and knocking on the front doors, but nothing. We left some of the laminated notes that Haller made up. We tacked one to what looked like a door, left one on the beach where you originally made contact and one on the DHD."

Jack nodded and then had a thought. "Uh, we did tell Nem not to come through the gate to Earth, right?" It wouldn't help Daniel if the large alien ended up as a light mist on the wrong side of the iris.

SG4's CO gave him a look. "Of course, sir. There's a radio there and instructions on how to use it. Nothing else."

"Good." Jack scratched the back of his neck. "Well… good work, Major. Guess I better go check up on Daniel."

- - - - -

The archaeologist in question sat at his desk, surrounded by piles of books. Janet had reluctantly allowed him to leave the infirmary, and he had headed straight for his office. Teal'c had taken the first round of baby-sitting duty and was currently on the couch, leafing idly through some piles of papers. Daniel was muttering under his breath, picking up one book, flipping it open and then abandoning it for another.

"Whatcha doin'?" Jack sauntered in to the office.

"Oh hello, Jack." Daniel looked up quickly, giving the CO a quick smile before returning his attention to the books. "I'm looking more in depth into those Omoroca legends."

"Anything fun?" He craned his neck, reading a page on the book closest to him. "Popsicle?" He made a face. "Who can respect a God named 'Popsicle'?"

Daniel frowned and then mimicked Jack, craning his neck to find what Jack had read. "Oh. No, Jack. That's Papsukkel, the messenger of the gods. He's- it's not…" He trailed off. No matter how he said it, it sounded like 'popsicle'. Squaring his shoulders, he avoided giving Jack any more ammunition. "Did you need something?"

"Actually, yeah." Daniel looked up, turning in his chair to face Jack. "I thought maybe you could fill in the story for me. You seemed pretty adamant that you knew what happened to Omoroca. If we could find her, maybe Nem would share some of his toys with us."

"You believe me?" Daniel's eyes were wide. "What about Mackenzie and his-"

"Daniel." Jack waved a hand, cutting him off. "I'm not sure if doping you up was the right thing, but you're you again and that's all we wanted. As far as the rest goes, it was Nem's machine, your flu and maybe a little stress. Nothing that a little rest and more of my soothing company won't cure. You're fine, Daniel."

Daniel swivelled around in his chair. "Teal'c?"

"I concur, Daniel Jackson. I too am curious to know more about these Babylonian Goa'uld. I have not encountered many in my long years of service with Apophis. I am always eager to hear new tales. One cannot adequately prepare for battle without good intelligence."

"You both believe me."

"Course we do." Jack shrugged. "Carter too. Even the General." Jack threw up his hands. "Hell, even Janet believes you. She's been pushing to get Mackenzie to back off."

"Jack, you have no idea what this means to me."

"Daniel Jackson, we have faith in you and your knowledge."

"Wow." Daniel whispered quietly, almost overcome.

"Alright already." Jack dismissed the soppy stuff. "So let's hear more about your new friend."

"Myomis?"

Jack snickered. "Mummu."

"Myomis." Daniel restated firmly. "Well, you apparently know a little already. He was Nem's and Omoroca's eldest son. You know, Jack, when we first met Nem, he called me 'the oldest'. Now, clearly, I'm not the oldest in SG1. I could never understand what he meant by that. I wonder if the Oannes have the ability to somehow sense a genetic marker in people… sense one of their own kind. Perhaps he knew that Myomis's memories were in me before he ever put me in that machine."

"So the stuff in your report?"

"The comments he made about the memory of my race, and my knowledge of Babylon… he may have been referring to this genetic memory of Myomis. His machine may have been attempting to pull that memory to the surface."

"So why didn't it?"

"Well, eventually it did. Maybe as a human, my physiology is different enough that the machine's effects were not immediately felt. All Nem got were my memories of reading a book when I was a teenager."

"That would make sense." Sam's voice sounded from behind the Colonel as she walked in the office.

"Gang's all here." Jack commented dryly.

"Hi Sam." Daniel looked hesitantly at the Captain.

"Hey Daniel. How are you feeling?"

Daniel looked down at his papers. Jack made a face. "Oh, for crying out loud. Carter, tell Daniel you believe him about this whole Omoroca thing and the Myomis stuff."

"What?" Sam looked from Jack's impatient expression to Daniel's shocked one. "Of course I do. It's fascinating. It was incredible talking to Myomis. I never really gave those genetic memory theories much credence, but I have to admit, I completely believed you. Why? Has someone-?"

"Mackenzie." Jack said softly.

"Oh." Sam touched Daniel's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay."

Daniel smiled and lifted his head. Jack grumbled. "Come on, Daniel. If everyone was fine, Mackenzie'd be out of a job. You know that."

Daniel chuckled. "It's not that easy, Jack."

"Well, Daniel, I have to admit I have newfound appreciation for your work after trying to sort out the mythology around the creation myth." Sam shuddered. "The sheer number of names and versions of the stories boggles the mind. I was curious to know more about the names you called us when you woke up that time."

"Yeah, you called me 'Ned'."

"Nedu, Jack."

"Okely dokely." Daniel looked sideways at Jack, not getting the Simpsons reference. Sam did, but covered her smile quickly. "So, come on Daniel, how often am I going to ask you to explain stuff?" Jack grabbed a chair and hunkered down. "Gimme your best shot. All ears."

Daniel looked around. "Alright. Here's my guess as to how things played out. Ea said that he had banished Nem to the deeps. I wonder if this could have referred to the event horizon of the Stargate. It certainly looks like a pool of blue water. I mean, Nem's amphibious and Omoroca's domain is often said to be 'the deeps'. He breathes underwater. Tossing him into deep water would have been a little counter-productive. I'd guess that they sent him through the Stargate, possibly to Oannes. Somehow they prevented his return. Perhaps the DHD was damaged, or he was held prisoner. That put him out of the way."

"What do the history books say about Myomis?" Sam asked.

Daniel shook his head. "Nothing. They mention that he was taken prisoner, and then he disappears from the narrative."

"So you now know more than the history books record." Sam asked.

Daniel shrugged. "Well, it seems so, if you believe-"

"Covered that already, Daniel." Jack interrupted. "Tell me more about Ned."

"Nedu, Jack. Well… it's difficult to say. In the stories, he appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He's one of the guardians of the seven gates. In fact, he's the guardian of the first gate. This part of the legend takes place after the fall of the Oannes. In the legends, Omoroca commanded armies of creatures of all descriptions, but her primary warriors were the Scorpion Men. Now it makes sense to me. Omoroca had an army of warriors with scorpion symbols on their armour. Her army was supplemented by rogue Jaffa in their traditional garb. Given that Jaffa armour can have serpent, dog, bird and jackal heads, to the common person it would appear as if Omoroca had an army of monsters at her command."

"Nedu and Ennugigi, who is also mentioned as a Scorpion Guard, were two of the higher ranking guards in the palace. In later myths, they are guardians of the underworld, and are associated with a Babylonian deity called Shamash. Nedu was the head of Omoroca's guards."

"Hear that?" Jack elbowed Carter gently. "Head guard." He managed to look smug about it.

"Ennugigi was a rogue Jaffa."

Carter snapped her fingers. "Myomis could understand basic Goa'uld. Perhaps it was Ennugigi that taught him."

Daniel turned to face Teal'c. "Indeed." The large man confirmed. "I was able to communicate a few words to him. He appeared not to speak the language, but he could understand it with some difficulty."

"And who was Carter?" Jack asked.

"Lamashtu. She's called 'she who erases'. She's quite a feared demon in Babylonian myth. She's said to be created by the god Anu, although some say that she was the daughter of Anu." Daniel wagged a finger. "I've been thinking about that. The Oannes were an alien race. Perhaps Lamashtu was, I don't know, genetically engineered. Otherwise, how could she and Myomis have produced offspring? They are two different species. I have the distinct impression that Lamashtu was of human stock, but there was something different about her."

He shuffled through his papers, finding one sheet. "I have this here, a prayer of sorts to guard people from Lamashtu. Her main enemy was a demon called Pazuzu. We should probably keep an eye out for references to him. He was either a Goa'uld, or one of their minions."

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c began. "What do you plan to do with this knowledge?"

Daniel looked up at each of his friends. "Uh, well, if I can decipher the information from the dreams, we may be able to find Omoroca."

"Do you really think she's still alive after all this time?"

"Nem is," Came Daniel's simple response. "The important thing is, Myomis removed the keys from the tomb. That would have made it impossible to open, and effectively put Omoroca into stasis."

"So what happened to the tomb?"

"Ah. Well, that's a problem. Myomis died there, so really…"

"You have no idea."

"Oh." Daniel motioned with his hand. "I wouldn't say that. There's mention of an altar in Etemananki, the Tower of Babel. The tower was constructed by Nebuchadnezzar at the command of Marduk. There's a fair bit of information in the Bible. The uh, Book of…" He paused, licking his lips. "Daniel." He shot a sideways look at Jack and waited for the comeback.

Jack grinned. "Too easy."

Sam stepped in again. "Have you found any records of the tomb or the keys?"

"Unh." Daniel made a little noise and clenched his fist with frustration. "That's the thing. I can't quite remember what they look like. Myomis was familiar with them, and never looked at them in depth. One big stone altar and three keys."

"Well, give it time, Daniel. It'll come." Sam offered encouragement.

Jack frowned. Daniel was rubbing his temples with his fingertips. Jack looked a question over to Teal'c and got a slow nod in return, confirming that he'd been doing that on and off all day.

"How's the head, Daniel?"

The archaeologist winced. "Headache. Mackenzie said I should expect them. One of the side-effects of the haloperidol."

"Surely that stuff should be out of your system soon?" Sam asked.

"Well, I looked it up on the internet. Listen to this." He shuffled a piece of paper out of a stack. "Side-effects can include, and I'll leave out all the words that even I don't understand, Parkinson-like tremors, rigidity, involuntary movements of the face, mouth and jaw, headaches and seizures. What else? Oh, here. Insomnia, confusion, depression, drowsiness, catalepsy, stupor, lethargy and while we're doing all that, we can also suffer from restlessness, anxiety, agitation and euphoria." Daniel sing-songed through the extensive list of symptoms. Oh, it can also make your psychotic symptoms worse and give you hallucinations. We'll skip all the problems with the female reproductive organs. I'm not _that_ messed up."

Daniel's voice held a fine vein of anger at being subjected to this drug without a say. "To make things a little more fun, we can add dry mouth and blurred vision, gosh wouldn't that be different? We can continue on with heartburn, nausea, vomiting. Hmmm, strangely enough, weight loss is also a problem and I'll spare you the further horrors. To summarize, it can turn you into a deep-breathing, retentive, drooling psychotic with severe social maladjustments and this is not the disease… it's the _cure_!"

"Jesus, Daniel." Carter whispered.

"And to put it all in perspective, it can take weeks to fully work out of my system, especially with the high doses Mackenzie was using."

Jack said nothing, but his mouth thinned into a fine line and he touched his fingertips to Daniel's shoulders.

"Oh, God, Daniel. We shouldn't have."

Daniel shook his head. "It wasn't your call, Sam. I don't blame you." His chin dropped to his chest and he let out a deep breath. "Okay I, uh, I think I've felt sorry for myself just long enough." He lightly slapped his palms on his knees. "Now, um, well, you know what side-effects to look for. I'm not taking any more 'medicine', so maybe we can all get through this unscathed."

He turned his chair back to his computer, balling up the paper with symptoms. He tossed the paper away, bouncing it off the wall where it rolled on to the floor.

"What can we do?" Sam asked, trying to look more cheerful than she felt. Daniel's list of side-effects had really hit her hard, and despite his words, she was really worried about it.

Daniel pulled books forward. "Well, I don't know. Teal'c's going to help me with the Goa'uld. We're going to see if we can track down any of the pieces from the city of Babylon and the Tower, then-"

The phone rang, cutting him off. Daniel reached over and picked it up.

"Doctor Jackson." He said into the receiver. His face went still, lips curling up in an expression of dislike as he listened for a few moments. "Actually, I'm very busy, Doctor Mackenzie. Perhaps some-" He paused again. At the end of the pause, he said softly, "Fine." He dropped the receiver back into the cradle and stood.

"Uh, I have to go now." His eyes were fixed firmly on the floor.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

The archaeologist shook his head. "Mackenzie wants to see me. He, uh, he won't authorize offworld travel for me until I submit to an evaluation and he's not happy about me refusing treatment." Daniel pursed his lips until they were a thin line.

He edged around Jack and left them standing in his office as he shuffled his way to the psychiatrist.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Eleven**_

Three days later, Daniel was still not cleared for offworld duties. Mackenzie was being stubborn. At last word, he wanted to wait a full week from the last day Daniel took, or rather, _was given_ the haloperidol to see if his symptoms would reappear before allowing him to resume his duties. Daniel had returned home the previous night, and aside from a persistent headache, was showing no signs of his earlier problems.

The other members of SG1 wanted to help, but found themselves gently excluded. Even Teal'c had little to offer the archaeologist. There was no research they could do that he could not accomplish faster and more efficiently. History was Daniel's realm, and they were quickly beginning to acknowledge that he was its uncontested lord and master.

Myomis's note had been translated, and it appeared to be a summary of what Daniel knew from his dreams. Myomis was the offspring of Nem and Omoroca and Omoroca was trapped in a healing chamber. They would need three keys to open the chamber, but Myomis had not described them.

Daniel was still dragging himself to Mackenzie's office for his daily sparring session. The psychiatrist kept a small vial of haloperidol on his desk and urged Daniel to resume taking it when, not 'if', _when_ his symptoms reappeared. Daniel refused each time, forcing himself to be polite, if only to deny Mackenzie any further ammunition.

Sam knocked softly on the door to Daniel's office. She had been researching genetic memory. It was her way of trying to understand what had happened to Daniel. She wanted to show him a paper she found.

She stepped in to the open door when he did not respond to her greeting, and found him seated at his desk, staring at his hands. He was lost in thought. She cleared her throat, hoping to get his attention. _Catalepsy, stupor, lethargy. _She couldn't stop herself from remembering Daniel's angry voice reading off the side-effects.

He stirred as she came closer, looking sideways at her through his hair. He smiled slowly as he recognised her and lifted his face. With a practiced motion, he gave his head a sharp shake and flipped the hair out of his eyes. Sam's jaw dropped.

"Myomis?"

"Samantha." His deeper voice was warm, accenting the 's' in her name and pronouncing it as 'sh'. They stood looking at each other in silence, neither speaking the other's language.

Myomis looked around, speaking slowly. Sam shook her head. The man lifted his hands, waving them around. Sam wondered if he was asking where he was.

"Um… Daniel's office." Myomis cocked his head at her. She repeated slowly. "Office."

Myomis nodded. "Daniel office." He swivelled the chair around, catching sight of the bookshelf. He stood and ran his fingers over the bound spines, pulling one from its place and flipping it open.

Sam stepped quickly to Daniel's desk and grabbed the phone. She dialled O'Neill's extension. He picked up on the second ring.

"O'Neill."

"Colonel."

"What can I do for you, Carter?"

"Sir… I think you need to come to Daniel's office."

"Everything alright?" The colonel's voice went from mild to worried in a nanosecond.

Sam hesitated, not sure what to say. "Yeah. Fine sir. Daniel's just had an old friend come by. I think you should be here to see him."

"Old friend?" Jack's voice grew suspicious.

"_Very_ old friend, sir." Sam enunciated the 'very'. "Maybe you should bring Teal'c along as well."

"We'll be there in a minute." Jack dropped the phone and was gone. Sam looked up to see Myomis looking at her curiously. She gave him a tentative smile, which he promptly returned.

Sam pointed to the object in Myomis's hand. "Book. Daniel's book."

"Book." He mimicked and then held up his hand. "Office." Sam came to stand by him and scanned the titles. Her eyebrows lifted as she saw two potentially useful books. There was a textbook on the Akkadian language, and a dictionary. She pulled them from the shelf and passed them to Myomis. He gave her a curious look, almost the same expression Daniel would have used, except he squared his jaw where Daniel tended to purse his lips.

He opened the book and leafed through it. His eyebrows began to rise as he saw the contents. Akkadian script with English words. He looked up at the ceiling, squinting his eyes a little as he concentrated on something. Sam listened carefully and realised that he was running through the English alphabet in his head. She had taught it to him the last time he manifested. He slowly flipped through the pages until he found the word he wanted. He held up the book and pointed to it, showing Sam. She craned her neck and followed his finger until he found the word.

"Thank you." She pronounced it for him.

"Thank you." Myomis replied, smiling.

They both turned as the Colonel and Teal'c hurried in to the office and shut the door, locking it behind them.

"Jack, Teal'c." Myomis nodded at the two.

"Myomis." Jack replied cautiously. "Carter, what happened?"

"I don't know, sir. I came here and he was sitting in his chair, kind of spacey. I got his attention, and it was Myomis that answered, not Daniel."

Jack's mouth twitched. "Damn." He said softly. Despite their words, their thoughts all turned to the antipsychotic seeping out of Daniel's system and the possibility of schizophrenia.

"What do we do, sir?"

"I'm thinking, Carter. I'm thinking."

"Sir, we can't let Mackenzie see him like this."

"I agree, O'Neill."

Jack hesitated. He promised Daniel that he would not let Mackenzie take him away. If the shrink saw Myomis, it would be game over for Daniel. Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "Options?"

"Janet?" Sam suggested.

Jack grimaced and shook his head. "No. She'd have to tell Mackenzie eventually and she'd certainly have to tell Hammond."

"Okay, sir, I think we should take him off-base."

"Perhaps that would be best, O'Neill. We could attempt to ascertain what Myomis knows of the Omoroca tomb and keys. In this way, we can assist Daniel Jackson. I believe that Omoroca may be our best chance of finding a way to help Daniel Jackson."

Jack whispered. "Come on. He's an alien intelligence. We really only have his word that he's benevolent. It's like letting a Goa'uld out. What if he gets away?"

"Sir, I can't explain it, but I believe that Myomis is on our side. I agree with Teal'c. The Oannes may be our best shot at fixing whatever is wrong with Daniel."

"Yeah. For the record, I don't like doing this behind the General's back, but we can't leave him here." Jack checked his watch. "Okay. We have two hours before the end of Daniel's shift. We have to keep him here and out of sight until then. It's Friday, so we've got the weekend to figure this out. Come Monday, if Daniel's no better, we have to inform the General and Fraiser." Jack cleared his throat, not liking what came next. "And they'll likely inform Mackenzie."

Sam gave a little wince but she knew this was the only way it could be. "We also have to find some way to talk to him, sir. If he's going to help Daniel, we need a more sophisticated language than grunts and pointing."

"So, how good a language teacher are you, Carter?" Jack put the problem back in her hands. "He seems to be pretty open to you."

"Well it may just be that I remind him of his wife, sir."

"Whatever, Carter, we can use it. He seems relatively harmless. Daniel's our priority now."

Through this exchange, Myomis stood next to Teal'c, exchanging glances with the tall Jaffa and flipping through the dictionary. He skimmed through the book until he found a word and then showed it to Teal'c. The Jaffa tilted his head to read.

"What." He intoned gravely without an interrogative inflection, making the word a definition rather than a question. Sam and Jack turned to look at him curiously. Myomis had another page bookmarked with his fingers. He flipped to that page and showed it to Teal'c. Teal'c read the words to him. "Speech, language."

Myomis nodded and then looked at the Colonel. "What speech language?"

Jack frowned. Sam got it first. "Oh! What language? Sir, I think he wants to know what language we're speaking." She turned back to Myomis. "English. Language is English."

"English." His accent made some of the sounds a little too broad, but he nodded and flipped to a third place in the dictionary and held it up to Sam. She grinned a little as she read it out loud.

"Teach."

The Oannes nodded. "Samantha Myomis teach."

Jack smiled briefly. "I think you have your orders, Captain. After work, how about you head out and pick up some kids books? Anything that teaches English. If we can't get Daniel back right away, maybe we can get communicating with Myomis."

"Of course, sir."

"Perhaps Daniel Jackson made some notations about the Oannes that we can share with Myomis?" Teal'c cocked his head looking at the scattered papers on Daniel's desk.

Jack looked at the Oannes in his friend's body. Myomis was sitting down, looking through Daniel's papers. He was looking extremely curious, as was to be expected. Daniel was researching the Oannes and Babylon. Sam picked up the dictionary and flipped through the English side. She found a word and showed it to Myomis.

"Myomis. Omoroca's keys. Key to her tomb?" He frowned, and Sam found herself playing an impromptu game of charades. Big box. Open the box. Oops, locked. Hey, look. Key. Keys unlock box. Open box. Look! Omoroca! For added security, she showed Myomis how the key on Daniel's file cabinet worked. Lock, unlock. Lock, unlock.

By the end, Myomis was nodding along. Teal'c supplied a word or two in Goa'uld that seemed to make the difference. Jack handed him a pad of paper and a pencil. Myomis looked at it for a moment and then started to draw.

Sam and Jack's eyes met over Myomis's bent head. Why Daniel? The one person who stood the best chance of communicating with their strange guest was the one man who couldn't.

- - - - -

"Time to go." Jack sighed, preparing. Getting Myomis off the base was as nerve-wracking as breaking in to a Goa'uld stronghold. They'd kitted Myomis with a bandage around his hand. He'd have to sign out. They'd made him practice Daniel's signature from reports in the out-basket without much success. The only way they could possibly get him out would be to come up with a plausible reason for the spiky attempt at Daniel's smooth signature.

A bandage on Myomis's forehead would allow them to explain the good doctor's uncharacteristic silence and Jack's hovering. Of course, neither Teal'c nor Sam had mentioned the 'hovering' part. It was good for the colonel to maintain some illusions of independence.

SG1 in a huddle around their archaeologist would probably rate fairly highly on the suspicion meter, so Sam would take Teal'c off the base later. Jack and Myomis would leave first. Jack was shifting from foot to foot now, anxious.

"Okay, Myomis. Let's go." Jack jerked his head to the door. The Oannes stood and nodded. He looked around to the others before picking up some of Daniel's books and papers.

Sam nodded and then shooed Myomis away. She would bring the rest of the papers and the laptop later. He gave her a steady look and then a small smile before turning and following Jack.

"Alright. Myomis-" Jack started to repeat his lecture to the Oannes about how they would leave the base.

Myomis rolled his eyes in a rather Daniel Jackson gesture and cut Jack off. "Myomis follow Jack." He used two fingers and the back of his hands to mime two legs walking. "Myomis quiet." He touched a finger to his lips. "Myomis sick." He fluttered his eyes and played at looking shaky. "Myomis sign." He made a scrawling notion on his hand. "Myomis go Jack home." He gave the Colonel a brilliant smile and touched the older man's shoulder. "Jack teach. Myomis understand. Okay?"

Jack gave a sharp grin and shook his head. "Damn, the kid's fast. Okay, let's go." He nodded to Carter and they left the office.

They walked the halls quietly, Myomis trotting obediently along behind Jack. The Colonel stopped once to adjust Myomis's posture, making him slump his shoulders a little and drop his gaze to the floor. The Oannes smiled a little, grumbling something in Akkadian. Jack swore he heard the name 'Nedu' being taken in vain.

They made it to the elevators without anyone screaming for them to stop. When he glanced back, Jack could see Myomis looking surreptitiously around, fascinated by the military base. He was rolling with the punches, but this all must be incredibly overwhelming for the Oannes.

They got in to the elevator, prompting a slight frown from Myomis as the floor started to move. He sucked in air between his teeth and then looked at the floor, ceiling and buttons. "Ah." He made a sound of comprehension and gestured with his hands, saying something in Akkadian. Obviously, the Oannes had elevators. A little advanced for Babylon, but hey, if you could make a spaceship, who's to say you couldn't get the idea of the pulley and the counter-weight?

"Elevator." Jack clarified. He put his two hands level and then lifted one up. "Elevate." He waved his hand around. "Elevator."

Myomis mouthed the new word and nodded. Jack shook his head. Daniel was good, but Myomis was amazing. He was incredibly fast at picking up words. They didn't have to tell him anything twice. He was even starting to use phrases he simply overheard. Jack made a mental note to keep Myomis away from daytime television.

They got to the exit, Myomis juggling Daniel's papers and books, to put them in his non-bandaged hand. Jack approved, hoping they could keep under the radar.

"Doctor Jackson?" Myomis didn't respond at first, until Jack stopped and touched his shoulder.

"_Daniel_." Jack enunciated, looking at Myomis.

"Ah." Myomis's mouth dropped open, so very like Daniel, as he comprehended Jack's meaning. His shoulders slumped as he stepped into the role of the 'sick' Daniel Jackson. His eyes half closed and he swayed just a touch on his feet as he turned to look at the young man running up to them. "Yes?" He asked softly. Jack had coached him on this part. He wouldn't understand anything the man said to him, but it was a nice, noncommittal start.

"Doctor Jackson, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind reading over these translations from P3R-192. I think we've gotten them down, but I'd really like your opinion." The young man tried to hand over a stack of papers. Myomis glanced at Jack for guidance, lifting his hand.

"Hey, now, you wouldn't be here if you didn't know your job." Jack stepped in and Myomis dropped his hand. "You're going to have to learn to trust your judgement. Doctor Jackson's not really doing all that hot right now. Why don't you give him a rest, huh?"

The junior linguist gave 'Daniel' an appraising look, taking in the bandages on his hand and head. His eyes widened a little. "Oh! Of course." He started backing up. "Sorry about that, Doctor Jackson." He tried to look contrite. Myomis gave him a watery smile and waved his bandaged hand, understanding the tone, if not the words. "Have a good weekend." He gave a little bow.

"Okay." Myomis replied, quickly checking with Jack to see if that was alright. Jack nodded and then indicated the doorway. Just had to get past the sign out area and then they were home free. And here they were. The MP offered up the sign-out sheet with a small flourish.

Myomis watched Jack carefully as he made his notations and signed out. Jack filled out the date and time for Daniel before handing the pen to Myomis. He saw the Oannes take a deep breath before attempting Daniel's signature. He made a sloppy job of it, finishing with a wince and a little shake of his wrist.

"Come on, let's get you home, Daniel. Get something for that wrist." Jack said, voice full of concern. He met the gaze of the security staff and shook his head. _Civilians._

The SF on guard smiled. "Night, Colonel. Take care of yourself, Doctor Jackson." He nodded to them both. Myomis gave him a small smile, while Jack chuckled good-naturedly and led the way out.

- - - - -

Jack allowed himself to relax only when his car pulled away from the base. Myomis slumped in the passenger seat, carefully watching Jack until the older man nodded at him. Myomis smiled and nodded and then commenced rubbernecking.

Admittedly, there was not a lot to see on the trip between the base and Jack's house, especially in the dark. It was barely March and the sun still set early enough that you could miss a whole day, locked up in the base. Still, Myomis gave it his best shot, even sitting up at one point and pressing his palms and forehead flat to the passenger side window to stare at a neon sign. He tugged at his seat-belt, irritated by the restricted range of movement, leaving off only when Jack slapped his hands for the fifth time. He offered Jack a prodigious frown as a reward.

Jack allowed himself a laugh. "Oh yeah, I can see what side of the family Daniel gets that from." Myomis cocked his head.

"Family?"

Jack's eyebrow lifted. Trust him to pick that word. He did a shoulder check and a mirror check and changed lanes. "Uh, yeah." One hand left the wheel to gesture to Myomis. "Yeah, Myomis and Omoroca and Nem." He rested his wrists on the steering wheel and interlaced his fingers for a brief moment. "Family."

Myomis tilted his head and thought about things. "Daniel, Jack, Teal'c, Samantha… family?" He interlaced his fingers, mimicking Jack's hand gesture.

"Uh." Jack thought it over. "Team." Myomis looked at him with Daniel's wide blue eyes and Jack smiled. "Team, yeah." He chuckled. "Family." He checked the traffic. "Oh, man. What am I teaching this guy?"

Myomis kept up his curious look for a moment before dropping back in his seat and resuming his tourist impression.

- - - - -

"Well, that's it. The Colonel and Myomis should be back at his place and settled in by now. We better go, Teal'c. I want to hit the bookstores before they close."

"I understand, Captain Carter. Do we have all of Daniel Jackson's materials?"

"God, I hope so." Sam eyed the bags of papers, books and noted that they had gathered. "Any more and we'd need a forklift, don't ask." She forestalled Teal'c's question with a raised hand.

Teal'c took two of the heavier bags while Sam took the laptop and a small bundle of papers. They retraced O'Neill's steps and made it out of the complex almost without interruption.

"Sign here, Captain Carter." The guard pushed the sheets toward them. He'd made a special entry for Teal'c, noting that he was in the custody of the Captain. They trusted Teal'c, but they also covered the protocol, just in case someone wanted to ask any questions further down the road.

"Hey, Captain." A second guard called, walking up to the gate. "Frank here tells me that Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson went by here earlier. Says that Jackson was bandaged up like a mummy and looked in rough shape."

Sam smiled weakly. "It's not as bad as all that. Just his head and hand, and don't you start spreading rumours, Lieutenant." She chided the man. Yes, they wanted it to appear as though Daniel was a little shaky. No, they did not want rumours of his imminent demise circulated through the base.

"What about his head and hand?" A soft voice asked from behind Sam, enough to make her blood freeze. _Oh damn._

- - - - -

Jack puttered around the kitchen, killing time, while Myomis wandered around the living room, picking up photos, touching knick-knacks and coming to grips with the new world. Jack took a moment to try to appreciate Myomis's position. He was the memory of an alien, dead for four thousand years. He had awoken, unable to communicate, in a world that had moved on without him and left his bereft of all he knew. Not even at home in his own skin, stripped down to the barest essence of a ghost haunting a living machine.

Shaking his head, Jack opened the fridge. He would have been a gibbering wreck. He snagged two beers and rejoined Myomis.

The man had found his framed picture of Charlie, and stood tracing the lines of the boy's face with a finger. Jack came and stood next to Myomis. The Oannes held up the picture inquiringly.

"Charlie." Jack said, evenly. Myomis cocked his head. Jack was starting to recognise that the gesture was a request for more information. "My son." His voice was slightly husky. Well, what did he expect? All of their emotions were running pretty close to the surface these days.

The head tilted again. Jack closed his eyes. Okay, relative, ha, ha… terms. "Nem, father. Myomis, son." He pointed to the Oannes. He turned the finger back to himself. "Jack, father. Charlie, son." He cleared his suddenly tight throat. Myomis nodded and looked around, spreading his hands.

Jack's mouth tightened into a thin line and he shook his head. Myomis looked pained. He obviously understood. Turning, he dropped to his knees and grabbed a pencil and some blank paper. He made two quick sketches. Despite the short time taken to draw them, they were surprisingly life-like.

Myomis gestured to Jack. "Meslantaea." He pointed to the one on the right. The two were similar enough to be twins. "Lugal-Irra." His smile was fond, proud. He touched his chest. "Myomis father. Meslantaea son. Lugal-Irra son." His smile faded as he realised that, like Jack, he was now a father without a child. Jack held his shoulder, understanding his pain.

"Hey, Myomis. Beer?" He held out a bottle to the Oannes who obligingly tilted his head. Jack handed him the bottle and then twisted the cap off his own, tilting his head back and taking a long swallow. "Mmm… Beer." He smiled.

It took a couple of tries, but Myomis figured out the wonder of the twist-off top and was soon sniffing tentatively at the beer. He took a cautious sip, experimenting. Quickly, his head bobbed up and he grinned. Ah, the Babylonian god approved. Jack chuckled as Myomis all but upended the bottle, taking a long swig.

"Hey… careful." He cautioned. "You've still got Daniel's metabolism under there." Myomis cocked his head, but understood the tone. He gestured to Jack, a fairly universal symbol for a toast. Jack returned the toast and then took a look at his bottle, pondering what to do next. He swirled it slightly, causing the beer to foam up a little.

_Jack! Help!_

He gave a violent start, almost dropping the bottle. Myomis, who had gingerly sat down on the couch, was up like a shot. He gripped Jack's elbow tightly, staring worriedly at the older man's ashen face. Jack's hand came up almost of its own accord and touched Myomis's face.

"Oh, God, Daniel." For a moment there, he'd been absolutely convinced Daniel was dead, gone forever. The flashbacks were shorter now, but no less intense. He grimaced. Daniel's body was standing here, but Daniel was not. He could be losing him all over again.

"Jack." Myomis's voice was soft, urgent. "Okay?"

Jack was spared the impossibility of an answer by the ringing of the doorbell. He cleared his throat and edged around Myomis. The other man's fingers clutched his sleeve for a moment, slowly letting go, trailing down the material as Jack walked away. Myomis was obviously a lot more comfortable with human contact than was Daniel.

Jack opened the door and found a sombre Carter and Teal'c standing on his door. They looked apprehensive.

"Hey." Jack said slowly.

Carter tried to smile and failed. She squared her shoulders and began, "Sir."

Jack looked from one to the other as Myomis stepped closer. "What's happening, guys?"

"I think that was my question, Colonel O'Neill." A light voice said, stepping in front of Teal'c.

Jack almost jumped out of his socks as Janet Fraiser pushed around Sam and past Jack, into the house and bore down on 'Daniel'. Myomis took one look at her face and began to back up.

Janet was faster, stepping up to him and grabbing his hand. Myomis met Jack's eyes, questioning. "Alright, Doctor Jackson, what's going on?"

Myomis cleared his throat lightly. "Okay?" He didn't know enough to say anything else.

"I'll be the judge of that." Janet said crisply. She turned one of his hands over and picked up the other one, checking him carefully.

Jack looked at Carter. "One of the SFs sent Daniel his good wishes and hoped he had a speedy recovery." She gave him a rueful look. "Janet overheard."

"Colonel." Janet was apparently still overhearing. She ran her hands lightly over Myomis's forehead, checking for any wounds. "What are you playing at here? What's going on?"

Jack gave an ingratiating smile and shrugged. "It's all good, Janet. Daniel's fine. Just a joke."

Janet frowned and turned back to Myomis. "Doctor Jackson, how are your headaches?" Myomis tilted his head, and his eyes met Jack's. The Colonel tapped his own head and mimicked a pained face behind Janet's back. Myomis understood and touched his own temple, making a 'so-so' face.

"Uh huh." Janet took Myomis's wrist and flipped it, checking his pulse. She pulled a penlight from her pocket and flicked it into Myomis's eyes, causing him to wince. "What have you eaten today?"

The eyes flicked back to Jack who made eating motions. Myomis dropped his gaze to his shoes and shook his head. "We're just about to order some pizza, Janet." Sam answered. "The Colonel and Daniel were just waiting for us to arrive. Right guys?"

Jack looked from her to Janet and back again, catching up. "Yeah. You got it. Pepperoni sound good, kids?" He clapped his hands, rubbing them together.

"Beer?" Janet eyed the two open bottles. "Colonel, Daniel still has haloperidol in his system."

"Come on, Janet, it's been four days since he had that stuff. It's gotta be wearing off by now."

Janet looked sharply at him. "Why? Has Doctor Jackson been showing any unusual symptoms?"

Jack waved Sam forward, trying to keep up the casual atmosphere, hoping to get Myomis out of Janet's reach. "No, course not. Janet, you know as well as I do that Mackenzie's wrong. It was Nem's machine that," he made a little circling motion with his index finger next to his temple. "Made Daniel seem a little off."

Sam took Myomis by the arm and edged him backward. He gave ground happily, stepping lightly in reverse.

Janet sighed and smiled. "Alright, Colonel. Two last questions."

Jack spread his hands. "Shoot."

Janet's smile turned brittle. "Well, Colonel, when did the Myomis personality reassert itself, and why the _hell_ didn't you tell me?" The doctor's eyes flashed, as she looked as close to furious as Jack had ever seen her.

O'Neill grimaced. "Doc." He was still trying for damage control.

"Colonel, this is the most reckless disregard for the health of Doctor Jackson. God only knows what's going on with his brain chemistry!" Jack backed up, unwilling to face five feet of fury. Myomis frowned, looking quickly at Sam. "His last experiences with the Myomis personality were marked by noticeably elevated blood pressure and severe headaches. We could be- _you_ could be chancing severe complications. Why would you take this risk?"

Jack shuffled from foot to foot and took the plunge. "Mackenzie." Janet shook her head, and Jack came forward. "Dammit, listen to me. He's bound and determined to dope Daniel up and lock him away. If we're going to fix this thing, we need Myomis. We need him to get Daniel back."

"Colonel-" Janet began hesitantly.

Jack shook his head, speaking tersely, jabbing his finger in Janet's direction. "Yes, Janet, I have considered that Daniel may be exhibiting signs of schizophrenia. I am not blind to the possibility I may be just as delusional as he is and putting my friend at risk, but we need this. _Daniel_ needs this. We are not going to leave him behind again. You _got_ me?"

Janet looked down. "Colonel." She tried again. O'Neill's face was closed, waiting her words. "Let me help." As one, Sam and Jack let out a strained breath. Jack nodded. Janet ventured a half smile. "Let me get my bag. I want to check him over. Doctor Jackson's going to need a fully functional body to come back to."

"Sir, I'm going to head out quickly. We came right here from the base and I still need to pick up some reading books for Myomis."

"Sure thing, Carter. Teal'c how about-"

"Jack?" Myomis cut them off, still looking concerned. "Okay?"

"Yeah, Myomis. Okay." Jack nodded and then pointed to the table. "No beer, Myomis. Wait."

"Janet come?"

Jack chuckled. "Fear the tornado. Yeah, Janet come."

Myomis sighed and dropped to the couch. "Okay." He slumped back and closed his eyes, one hand going to his temple. Jack's mouth tightened up. Damn those headaches.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twelve**_

An hour later, Sam returned with bulging bags of books and Jack had ordered pizza enough for all. Janet had completed her check of Daniel's body and pronounced him 'within acceptable parameters'. They'd managed to teach Myomis a few more important words like 'eat', 'drink', 'hungry', 'thirsty' and the very well-received 'coffee'.

The arrival of the pizza was equally well-received. Myomis's head shot up and he began sniffing the air, hissing through his teeth in a move that the other members of SG1 could only assume indicated pleasure. Moving as if under compulsion, he was plucking the box from Jack's hand while Jack was still mentally calculating the tip.

He presented the box to Sam as if it was made of the finest gold and gems, a look of wonder on his face. He tried out one of his new words. "Samantha, what?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "Pizza."

"Pizza." He said, reverently.

He did manage to sit patiently until Jack could bring him a new beer, with Janet's blessing, and dish out the pizza for everyone. Myomis did not indulge at first, but rather sat and watched everyone else and observed how the wonder of 'pizza' was to be consumed. As in other things, he proved to be a quick learner and was on his second piece before Sam was halfway through her first.

"Easy, easy man. I'm guessing Daniel didn't feed you much." Jack said with a small grin.

Janet made Myomis take a break after his second piece, or else he might have gone on to eat the whole thing himself. Myomis retreated to his beer, forgetting all about the food when Sam pulled out her finds from the bookstore. She'd brought him kids books and a bunch of 'English as a Second Language' books. They curled up on the couch together, with Teal'c sitting near by.

Jack passed the time fiddling with the computer and trying to get the scanner to work. He eventually had to get Carter and Janet working on it. The damn thing refused to scan with any decent resolution and always ended up too dark. Teal'c was left with Myomis. The duo spoke in low tones, Teal'c teaching the Oannes his excruciatingly correct English.

The evening passed fairly quickly. Jack was eventually able to scan in the pictures that Myomis had sketched of the keys needed to open Omoroca's tomb. He emailed them to the archaeological staff at the SGC. Perhaps someone would recognise them, or at least find a way to make discrete inquiries with the academic community. He and Carter spent some time trying to look through various online museum catalogues, without success. Of course, neither of them knew really where to look, and ended up quickly frustrated.

About the only solid leads they had were several sites on the excavation of the city of Babylon and descriptions of the old temples. There was even a temple of Marduk. Sam had printed off a stack of pages, making special note of the Vorderasiatische museum in Berlin, a 1902 expedition by the Deutsche Orient Gesellschaft and another in 1931 by The University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. They all seemed to be linked to the exploration of Babylon. Perhaps they would have more information available from those sources.

Myomis was curled up on the couch reading softly to Teal'c. It was probably a kid's book, ESL type. Jack shook his head. Myomis's speech was still heavily accented, but his reading was smooth and his comprehension seemed to be phenomenal. He simply read something once and moved on. No one had yet seen him refer back to an earlier text.

Carter caught Jack watching Myomis. "I've been thinking about that, sir. Daniel had suggested in his report that the Oannes were natural linguists. Certainly, Nem picked up on the basics of the English language in only a few days, without any instruction at all. Daniel was theorizing that the Oannes may be somewhat telepathic, or possess technology to assist them. Obviously, Myomis has neither of those capabilities, but perhaps the linguistic trait is part of his mental process and doesn't need any other enhancements."

"Natural linguists, huh? So, what… does this make Daniel a throwback?"

Carter looked at her CO. "I'd love to know more about Daniel's family history and see what paths his family have taken. I wonder if the Myomis gene in them has been dominant for all Jacksons… or perhaps on his mother's side?"

"Carter… I have to know." Jack turned pensive. "Do you seriously believe him? I, gah!" Jack screwed up his mouth into a grimace and looked away. Just saying it felt like a betrayal. "Before this gets too far, I need to know. Do you honestly believe in this genetic memory deal? I want to believe Daniel, but more than that, I _don't_ want to hurt him and-"

"Sir." Sam's voice was soft, but Jack stopped instantly. "Daniel knows more than the history books record. He's speaking fluently a language that he only ever could puzzle out before. He has full memories of a life that even archaeologists can't fully fathom or describe. As a scientist, this goes against pretty much all I believe. Past life theories are given very little credence in proper academic circles." She gave a little smile, trying to shake the dark thought. "It costs me a lot to say this, but I don't think science has the answer to this one."

Jack sighed. "Thanks, Carter. And I think you're right. The only answer to this one is currently reading 'Run Spot, Run' to a Jaffa warrior."

Myomis looked up, catching Jack's eyes. He smiled briefly, holding up his book. Not 'Run Spot, Run', he was reading National Geographic.

"Incredible." Sam whispered.

- - - - -

Fraiser let Myomis read to Teal'c for two more hours. By the end, Teal'c was able to question Myomis about simple things in the text, and the Oannes was able to puzzle out a proper reply. Jack was itching to start questioning Myomis about Omoroca. The faster they could find out about the Oannes, the faster they could get Daniel back.

Still, they took the cautious route. Myomis was pale, and one hand was almost constantly at his temples, massaging softly. Janet finally plucked the book from his fingers, smiling gently at his outraged expression.

"Myomis, enough. Sleep now." She spoke slowly, enunciating carefully.

"Janet." He tried a half-hearted protest.

"Myomis, sleep now. You can read tomorrow."

"Tomorrow we look Omoroca?"

"Tomorrow we shall look _for_ Omoroca." Teal'c both corrected and confirmed.

"Okay." He gave in, allowing Janet to pull him to his feet.

"Colonel?" Janet started to ask, but Jack was already ahead of her.

"Let's put him in the guest room. Daniel's stayed there before. It'll be familiar to him if he wakes up before Myomis." Jack's mouth set in a grim line. He was not happy.

- - - - -

"No!" Daniel's body arched off the bed, hands flung wide and grasping. Jack took the corner at a run, swinging into the room by the doorframe.

"Hey!" He shook Daniel by the shoulders. "Hey! It's okay."

"Hah!" The younger man let out a shout that was half relief, half fright before turning to Jack and grabbing his arm. He babbled on for half a minute in a foreign language before realising where, and who he was.

"Jack."

"Yeah. It's okay Myomis. It's okay."

"I see-" The Oannes touched his fingers to his forehead, like he was trying to burrow in and pull the memory from his mind. "In here. I see." Carter and Janet were now at the door, and Jack could hear Teal'c's measured strides close behind them. Myomis's eyes were wide and he waved his hand, casting about for the correct words.

"It's a dream, Myomis. You see images, pictures, in your mind. A dream." Carter tried to help.

The two women moved forward to allow Teal'c into the room. The large Jaffa cocked his head at Myomis. "Did you dream of Omoroca?"

Myomis shook his head, long hair flying. "Not my dream. Not Oannes dream." He took a couple of deep breaths, and calmed himself down. He flipped the hair out of his eyes and looked at the Colonel. "Jack and me- Jack and I." He gestured to the older man. "Unh." Myomis closed his eyes, frustrated at his inability to explain. "Goa'uld chip… shape… no, _ship_. Yes, 'ship'. Okay?" He gestured widely with his hands, counting off from his left to his right. "Jaffa. Jack. Me. Jaffa." He continued the gestures, explaining his words. They were all in a row. Jack and Myomis flanked by Jaffa on a Goa'uld mothership.

Jack's mouth twisted. Myomis was probably having a Daniel-dream. It made a sort of sense. Daniel had plenty of Myomis-dreams.

Myomis haltingly continued. "Jack fight. Jaffa hit. I try stop. Try _to_ stop. Uh. 'No, no, no'." Myomis made a controlled flailing motion with his arms, imitating his actions in the dream. Jack's face twisted and he stood abruptly. Myomis trailed off, smacking his palms to his chest with a muted thud. "Pain. Hurt. Then-"

"Then he died." Jack grated, leaning against the wall. All eyes turned to him. "That's not Myomis's dream, that's Daniel's nightmares. Ra's ship. The Jaffa killed Daniel." Jack brushed his fingers through his hair. "Dammit."

Carter took Jack's place, sitting by Myomis. She patted the man awkwardly on the shoulder. "Dream, Myomis. Just a dream."

Myomis shook his head, peering around Carter at Jack. "Not dream. Remember. Remembering Daniel." Carter turned to face her CO as Myomis continued. "Jack, what? Daniel dead?"

The older man leaned against the wall, hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his jeans. "No."

"He was put in a sarcophagus, wasn't he, sir?"

"Yes." Myomis gasped. Everyone turned as he shook his head, as if to clear it. "Ra put me in the sarcophagus." He touched his fingers to his head.

Jack stepped forward, hands up. "Daniel."

The archaeologist made a pained noise and curled up, hands clasped on the back of his neck. "God. What the hell is happening to me?"

"Alright, that's enough." Janet pushed her way through, putting her hands on Daniel's shoulder and pushed him flat. He gave way, tumbling to his side, but kept his hands on his neck. "Everyone, out. I need to examine Doctor Jackson."

- - - - -

Twenty minutes later, Janet exited the spare room and faced the circle of concerned SG1 members. She closed the door and leaned against the wall with a sigh.

"Doc?" Jack was the first to risk a question.

"He's asleep." She caught the Colonel's eye and shook her head. "Aaaand he's Myomis again. Daniel disappeared just after you left."

"Why?" Sam stepped up.

Janet made a little face. "I can't say. Colonel, there's a possibility that this is related to the haloperidol. Perhaps we should allow Doctor Mackenzie to-"

"No." Jack stepped away from the wall and walked down the hall, gesturing for the others to follow. Once back in the living room, they spoke again. "Okay, here's the thing. I don't want to commit Daniel to something that could be life-long without giving him a chance."

"A chance to do what, sir?" Janet spoke up, not challenging him, but asking an honest question.

"Doc, Daniel's not sick. He's confused. He's-"

"He's in a lot of pain, Colonel. What happens if it gets worse?"

"Perhaps I should attempt to teach Daniel Jackson to kel-no-reem?" Teal'c offered an option.

"Now, that might work." Carter agreed. "Janet, wouldn't the meditation help?"

The doctor inclined her head. "Meditation can be a very effective treatment for some patients with high blood pressure. I'm worried about Daniel's headaches though."

Jack nodded. "Alright, everyone back to your beds. We'll try again in the morning." He lingered by the bedroom door for a moment with Teal'c. The feeling that they could be ruining Daniel's life hung heavily over him. How far could they trust this thing in Daniel's mind, and what if they were wrong?

"Perhaps I should kel-no-reem with Daniel Jackson, O'Neill?" Teal'c spoke softly, but it still made Jack jump slightly.

"Huh?" Jack looked from doorway to Jaffa. "Yeah. Yeah, Teal'c, maybe that would be good. Watch over him, okay?"

Jack touched Teal'c's shoulder once and headed back to his own room and Teal'c inclined his head before quietly entering the guest room.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

The next day dawned early for the military personnel. They left Daniel to rest. He was still recovering from a variety of side-effects from the haloperidol, as well as his recent experiences with Nem and the resulting virus. While he would normally be up as early as they, Janet felt is was best to let him rest as long as possible.

Sam commandeered Jack's computer and began searching through the SGC databases for any information about Belus and Myomis, with Janet's help. Teal'c and Jack sorted through Daniel's papers, trying to find something useful.

A little before ten, Jack's head jerked up at a low voice in the other room. He gestured to Janet and the two of them headed for the spare room. Teal'c and Carter, left behind, exchanged looks.

Jack and Janet stopped in front of the door. They paused briefly and then opened the door.

"Jack?" O'Neill's shoulders relaxed slightly at the sleep-slurred but unaccented speech.

"Daniel."

"Doctor Jackson, let me take a look at you." Janet began unrolling the pressure cuff as Jack came to stand at the other side of the bed. Daniel made no move to resist as Janet ran through a series of examinations. When she was done, she met the Colonel's intense gaze and gave a little smile. They both turned back to Daniel, lying back with one arm over his eyes.

Jack turned to look at a small sound from the doorway. Sam and Teal'c stood silently there, watching. Janet gave them the same tentative smile, and they relaxed. Teal'c's head came up slightly, while Sam's shoulders slumped a little.

"How's the headache, Doctor Jackson?" Janet was business-like, but her tone was soft.

Daniel's brow furrowed as he considered the question. "Okay. Better, actually. I feel good." He grunted and hauled himself into a seated position, scratching his jaw lightly. He gave a little start as he looked around and recognised his surroundings. "I don't remember any of this. I mean, none if it. I fell asleep at my desk and-"

"And Myomis woke up." Jack finished.

"Ah." Daniel had no better comment. They let the silence drag on for a few moments.

"How's your appetite?" Fraiser broke the stalemate.

"I'm hungry. Not starving, but I could eat." He stifled a yawn. "I wouldn't turn down a coffee either."

"Myomis likes pizza." Sam smiled from the doorway.

Daniel's eyebrows went up as he considered this. "How very… worldly of him."

"Quite fond of beer too." Jack jibed.

"Jack. What are you people doing to my body when I'm not around?" Daniel ducked his head as he grinned. This personality reversal had him both intrigued and frightened, but he forced the fear down and tried to appear normal.

The Colonel got up and stretched his back. "One of us has to look after it." He looked at Fraiser. "What's the good word?"

The doctor looked to her patient. "Feel like getting up? Don't do more than you want to at this point. We want to avoid stress where-ever possible."

Daniel edged back out from under the covers. He glanced down at the sweat pants. "Should I be worried that I don't remember this either?" He gestured to his legs.

"Myomis was quite fascinated by the cloth." Teal'c spoke up, eyebrow twitching.

"Myomis sounds like he needs to get out more." Daniel replied levelly.

"Look who's talking." Jack grinned softly and shooed everyone out of the room, leaving Daniel some privacy to change.

- - - - -

Everyone was in the living room talking when Daniel showed up a little later, freshly showered and shaved. He took a mug of coffee from Jack with a grateful look and sat gingerly down on the sofa. He was looking healthier than before, but was still far too pale. Despite a good night's sleep, black circles still ringed his puffy eyes.

"So, where are we at?" He gestured to the stacks of books and papers around.

"We are attempting to put together a briefing for General Hammond." Teal'c said, shuffling a stack of computer printouts.

"Oh? On?"

Carter exchanged glances with O'Neill. She took the plunge. "Babylon."

Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Babylon." He looked around. "You." His team-mates nodded. "Ah, why?"

"We were attempting to research Myomis and to find out anything that would assist us in tracking down the Babylonian Goa'uld."

Daniel nodded at Teal'c and leaned back on the couch, nursing his coffee. "I see. What do you have so far?"

Carter cleared her throat, like a nervous schoolgirl about to give a presentation for a particularly tough teacher. "Okay. Babylon. Mesopotamia." Her eyes lifted in time to catch Daniel's approving nod.

"The word is actually from the Greeks, much later. It means 'the land between the rivers'." Daniel started, but caught himself. "Sorry, your turn." He smiled.

"Okay, that fits what I have. Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers." Sam flipped a page over, scanning for relevant details. "The rivers start in Turkey, flow through Iraq and into the Persian Gulf." Daniel looked up at Jack. He swore that the older man's face twitched at the description of the local geography. Carter continued.

"Mesopotamia is considered to be the site of the world's first civilisation around 3500 BC. The local population built a system of irrigation and levees to control the rivers and grow crops. It was the…" She hesitated over the word.

"Sumer." Daniel supplied with a grin. "Not 'summer'," he cut Jack off as the colonel's mouth opened.

"Sumer." Sam soldiered on. "The Sumerian civilisation."

"But Myomis is not Sumerian." Teal'c broke in.

Daniel lifted his mug. "Sam?"

"Oh, right." Sam looked through her notes quickly. "Sumer was the southern portion. Akkad was in the north."

"Akkad is a variation on Agade, the city founded by Sargon around 2300 BC. The Sumerians were considered a Semitic race and the Akkadians were non-Semitic, possibly originating in India." Daniel couldn't resist chiming in.

"I have read of this Sargon." Teal'c continued. "He was a conqueror. His armies conquered Sumer."

"And held it for around 150 years until his empire fell. The area was then divided again into Akkadians and Sumerians." Sam continued.

"The Akkadians modified the original Sumerian cuneiform writing. Nem used the Akkadian version. This would put Nem sometime after Sargon, in terms of the time line." Daniel added, pointing to some chicken scratches on the table.

Jack gave an exaggerated blink and a small shake of his head. "And this tells us?"

Sam and Teal'c turned tail and left Daniel to field that question. "It gives us an approximate timeline, potential sites and a comprehensive mythology to work with while trying to establish which parts of Myomis's story are facts and which have been embellished by later historians." Daniel's free hand gestured widely, making his point.

"And this tells us?" Jack stubbornly repeated.

Daniel held up a sheaf of papers. "It tells us where to look."

- - - - -

At Janet's insistence, the group left off their research for an hour. Daniel picked his way through a bowl of fresh fruit and a glass of juice. Risking the infamous Jackson frown, Fraiser cut him off after one mug of coffee.

Although everyone was trying their best to disguise it, Daniel had started to get edgy at all the sideways glances sent in his direction by his well meaning friends. Finally, he had enough.

"Shall we continue?" He padded back to the living room and sat on the couch again. "What were you looking up now?"

Janet had been doing her own research, something she wasn't ready to share with the group. She tilted her head to Jack.

The colonel showed Daniel the cover of the paper he was reading. "Yeah. I was looking through the-"

"If you say 'enema' Jack, I will kill you." Daniel held up a warning finger.

"Through the," Jack began again with a wounded look and enunciated the word exaggeratedly. "Enuma Elish." He paused and stared at Daniel, who obligingly tilted his head. "Thank you. Enuma Elish. To be honest, I've seen less convoluted murder mysteries."

"Well, Jack, it is a murder mystery of sorts." He took the sheets from Jack. "I'll give you the summary version." He looked through the notes and then dismissed them, dropping them back to the coffee table. "Sam, is there a blue folder around?" Carter thought for a moment before opening up a briefcase and passing Daniel a half a dozen blue folders. He pulled one from the pile and opened it. He nodded and held it up for the Colonel to see.

"The cheat notes of the Enuma Elish?"

"Cheat?" Both Daniel and Teal'c looked confused. Sam ducked her head to hide her smile.

"Ah." Jack turned away. Of course. Daniel would never let himself get within 100 feet of cheat notes. He waved a hand. "Do continue."

"Alright, the Enuma Elish. The text is made of a number of tablets. It is a creation myth. It starts with the creation of the world, then the gods, then finally, humans. I'm guessing, given what is written of Nem and Myomis, that history in this case is indeed written by the victors."

"By the Goa'uld." Teal'c confirmed.

Daniel nodded. "Yes. In the beginning, the earth and sea had no name. Tiamat existed as the center of chaos. Fate itself had not yet been formed. Tiamat is often used as the representation of Chaos, and Nem is the Deep. From those two, Nem and Omoroca, came the gods. Myomis is the eldest, and again, that is what Nem called me. From there came a number of lesser deities. The main deities in this are Ea, who is Myomis's nephew, and Belus. Judging from Myomis's memories in the dreams, all of the Oannes eventually were either killed or taken as hosts."

"Daniel, why go to all the trouble for Myomis? Why didn't they just make him and Nem into hosts?" Sam was leaning forward in her chair, elbows on her knees, as she listened.

"Ah. That's interesting." Daniel wagged a finger at Sam. "Again, from Myomis's memories in the dream, the Oannes could never be subjugated by the Goa'uld. At best, they would be partners. The Goa'uld would grant the Oannes knowledge and healing ability and the Oannes would be a vessel through which the Goa'uld could act. As I understand it, the Goa'uld would never be able to completely control the Oannes host, like they do the humans. So, essentially, the younger ones rebelled. The first to encounter the Goa'uld was likely Ea. He was the one who spread the corruption to the others, convincing them to turn against Omoroca and Nem."

"But not Myomis?" Jack asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No. The stories are too vague to be sure, but it looks like that of the more powerful Oannes, only Myomis resisted the lure."

"Daniel Jackson, what could the Goa'uld have offered the Oannes?"

Daniel shrugged. "Freedom, I guess. Nem and Omoroca held the power. They had limited access to the technology of the Oannes. Perhaps the young ones simply were rebelling against their parents." He gave a shaky grin. "Maybe they just wanted to live on land, and were sick of living underwater."

"Oldest story in the book." Jack shook his head.

Daniel rolled his neck, massaging his temple. At Jack's concerned look, Janet immediately went and sat by the archaeologist. He spared her a glance before continuing on with his tale, a note of urgency creeping in to the story.

"The Enuma Elish begins with the story of the rebellion. Apparently Omoroca, Nem and Myomis held to the old ways. The younger gods were accused of 'wanting to rise above their station'. Nem complained that he had 'no peace by day, and no rest at night'. The trio designed a plan to get rid of the younger Oannes. Well, they met to design a plan. Myomis suggested that they fight." Daniel looked a little embarrassed. "He's not very subtle about those sorts of things."

"You probably get that from your mom's side." Jack reassured him. Daniel gave him a look and a small smile before continuing on. Janet took his arm and wrapped a pressure cuff around it, quietly checking his vitals as Daniel spoke.

"Omoroca was originally against the plan. She disagreed with the destruction of the younger Oannes. She still hoped that they could be saved. Nem and Myomis, however, tried to convince her otherwise. I think they managed too, somewhat, because Omoroca is described as using her powers of creation to amass an army of creatures. It translates to: 'She loosed the irresistible missile, she spawned enormous serpents with cutting fangs, full of venom instead of blood, snarling dragons wearing their glory like gods'." He looked up at Jack, who nodded. Daniel continued. "'She made the Worm, the Dragon, the Female Monster, the Great Lion, the Mad Dog, the Man Scorpion, the Howling Storm, Kulili, Kusariqu… There was no pity in their weapons, they did not flinch from battle for her law was binding, irrevocable'." Daniel's voice rose and fell with the narrative.

"The Jaffa." Teal'c concluded.

"You said earlier that Omoroca had the Jaffa of a number of system lords in her employ." Carter added.

"And the armour of the Jaffa will appear to the humans of the time as monsters."

"'Wearing their glory like gods'." Jack mused.

Guided by Janet, Daniel leaned back on the couch, stretching out full length. Jack got up and headed to the kitchen, returning with a damp towel. Janet took it and folded it up, laying it over Daniel's eyes. The archaeologist cleared his throat as Janet fetched her doctor's bag.

"Anyway, the Goa'uld Ea overheard the plans. He attacked Myomis and Nem. Some accounts say that Nem was killed, others say that he was banished to the deeps. Given what we know of Nem and the Stargate, as I said earlier, the latter is probably correct. Myomis was captured and disappears from the record."

Daniel shifted in place as Janet injected him with something for his headache. Sam and Jack exchanged worried looks. Teal'c leaned forward and spoke softly. "Daniel Jackson, perhaps later you would like to kel-no-reem with me? It may help with your headaches."

"Thank you Teal'c." Daniel lifted the corner of the cloth and met the Jaffa's eyes. Even that slight motion seemed to exhaust him, and he slumped back against the couch.

"Why don't we take a rest, Doctor Jackson?" Janet suggested. Daniel nodded mutely, bringing his hands up to trap the cool cloth between them and his face.

"Ea. Ea is the key. Belus acted, but Ea planned it all. We need to find him." Everyone stayed quiet as Daniel rested. His body went still and relaxed into sleep.

Jack was the first to break the silence with a soft, "Dammit."

- - - - -

They used the time well, trying to follow up on Daniel's lead. Ea and the Oannes were on the research list. Jack had been given the task of continuing his read through the Enuma Elish, although he gleefully claimed Daniel's summary notes to go with it. Sam commandeered the computer and searched through the internet. Teal'c sat cross-legged on the floor by the sofa and read through more of Daniel's notes, and Janet had her briefcase open and was working on a pile of paperwork at the dinner table. Every so often, she would freshen the cloth on Daniel's forehead and check his vitals.

Eventually, Jack cracked. Sitting on the floor, he put his hands over his eyes and collapsed backward. He gave a frustrated little snarl. His foot kicked out slightly as he stretched his legs and he bumped the couch. Daniel twitched and put a hand over his eyes.

Janet got up and made her way over to him, sitting on the edge of the couch. "Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel slid the cloth off his face and blinked up at the doctor. "Janet."

Fraiser's head bobbed up. "Myomis." Jack made a quick grimace and met Carter's gaze. Fraiser continued smoothly. "How are you, Myomis? Does your head hurt?" She spoke slowly, trying to give the Oannes time to process the still unfamiliar words.

Myomis eased himself upright. "No. I am fine. Head no hurting."

"My head is not hurting." Teal'c corrected. Myomis looked over at him and nodded.

"Janet, my head is not hurting." Myomis tried again, stating it in Teal'c's straight-forward tone of voice.

Sam's lips twitched.

- - - - -

The day proceeded fairly normally. Sam tried to question the Oannes about his technology and the Goa'uld of his time, but their ability to communicate was still somewhat limited by their lack of a common language so they gave up and allowed Myomis to continue his studies.

Janet stayed by his side and monitored his vitals. She frowned and pursed her lips as Myomis started massaging his temples. She monitored his vitals every fifteen minutes until he finally fell asleep.

The team sat and watched him for a moment until Janet stood and motioned O'Neill to come join her in the kitchen.

"Sir, I'm noticing a trend with these headaches."

"Yeah, when he gets one, he falls asleep and wakes up as someone else."

"Well, something more than that, sir. I believe that the headaches correlate to a sudden increase in his blood pressure. The two of them always seem to precede a personality switch."

"Meaning?"

"Well, I'm not sure. Sir, perhaps we should take Doctor Jackson back to the base. I really think that I should be monitoring him more closely. Maybe this Myomis personality is a result of his altered brain chemistry. We could be risking Daniel's life here."

Jack grimaced, combing his fingers through his hair. "He's not in any immediate danger, right? Let's see what he looks like tomorrow."

"Colonel." Janet started to speak, but was cut off by Jack holding up his hand. She pursed her lips and gave her head a half shake.

"He's stable. For now, we watch."

Janet clearly did not like this, but she nodded to the higher ranking officer. "Sir, I have to report to the base tomorrow. The General will likely be asking me for a progress report. What do I tell him?"

Jack thought for a moment, eyes locked on the kitchen cabinets. "We'll tell him what Daniel looks like in the morning."

- - - - -

Janet left for the base early the next morning. By the time she was ready to go, Daniel was up and awake and nursing his one cup of coffee. There was no sign of Myomis, and the archaeologist had awoken with normal blood pressure and no headache. When Janet left, he was just about to continue his lecture on Babylonian Goa'ulds.

Jack walked Janet to the door. She looked up at him as he leaned against the doorframe. He held his hands up and sighed. "Tell the General what you know. We'll do whatever he thinks is best. Just make sure Mackenzie doesn't get to keep him."

She nodded once at him and turned. He watched until she got into her car and drove away before he let out a long sigh and closed the door. He leaned on it for a moment and then made his way back to the living room.

"Jack?" Daniel frowned up at him. "You okay?"

Jack allowed himself a lop-sided grin. "Yeah. I'm good. You up to continuing the lecture, Professor Jackson?"

Daniel smiled briefly. "Do you have your notes? There _will_ be a test at the end of this."

"Yeah. I hear the teacher's a real pain in the ass."

"No extra credit for you, then."

"Aw, now is that fair?" Jack grabbed his notes and sat down. "So, where were we?"

"Well, I think Sam was just about to tell us what she learned about Ea, and then Teal'c was going to tell us everything he knows about Marduk or Belus as the Oannes knew him. Jack, you have to finish up your presentation on the Enuma Elish."

Sam was amazed by Daniel. Hurting, tired and with an alien intelligence trapped in his mind, he looked like nothing more than a congenial college professor, doling out homework to his reluctant students. She swallowed as he gestured for her to begin.

"Okay. Ea. Now, we don't really know much about him as a Goa'uld, but here's what I could find out as a Babylonian god." Sam pulled out several files and books. "Okay. Well, Ea is the patron city of Eridu, which is considered to be one of the oldest settlements on the Euphrates River. The city is located some distance from the Persian Gulf, but apparently it used to be right on the Gulf."

"Most of the river systems in that area suffered from sedimentation, often as a side-effect of poor farming practises. It silted up the rivers and gradually the settlements were abandoned as their access to the open water was lost." Daniel caught himself lecturing and ducked his head. "Sorry."

"No, that's okay. It actually fits some of what they were saying about Ea being worshipped as a water deity. I assumed that was because of his connection to the Oannes, but it may well have been because of the connection to local water events." Daniel smiled, nodding proudly.

"Very true."

"You mean, I'm right?"

"Yes."

"Huh." Sam made a sound that was a cross between pride and surprise. "I couldn't figure out if Eridu had been discovered yet."

"Well, Eridu or 'the good city' is commonly thought to be on the site of the mounds of Abu Shahrein. There were some expeditions there in the forties. Since the area is located inside Iraq, there haven't been any expeditions lately."

"Oh, I was trying to come up with potential sites of investigation, especially since we are going to be looking for both the keys and the altar."

"I suggested Etemananki earlier. The Tower of Babel, erected to honour the God Marduk. What else have you found?"

"Your books list a cult in Eridu. Seems like they might keep artifacts there, especially if he managed to get his hands on one of Myomis's companions. The temple is named, uh, you'll have to help me on this, Daniel."

The archaeologist grinned, never even looking at Sam's papers. "E-saggila."

"Meaning 'the lofty house'."

"And that means what, exactly?" Jack broke in.

It was Teal'c who hazarded a guess before Daniel could even open his mouth. "O'Neill, this likely indicates that the temple is built in steps, as was the style of architecture of the time."

"Ziggurats." Daniel added, eyes fixed on Teal'c and more than a little surprised.

"Bless." O'Neill replied. "Carter? Got any more?"

"I'm sorry, sir, I got a little confused here with all the different names. Some of the books say that Marduk and Ea were the same, some say that they were father and son. There seems to be a connection to someone called 'Bel' as well."

"Bel. It's a word that often translated to 'lord', so Bel-Marduk is Lord Marduk. In that case, it probably refers to Ba'al. Hopefully we won't be digging that far into the family tree. He's not a nice one to meet."

"So, back to locations then. It says that shrines to Ea have been erected all over Assyria and Babylon. Specifically, they say…" Sam paused and laboriously pronounced the foreign words. "Girsu, Ur, Babylon, Sippar, Nippur and Nineveh."

"That's a lot of land to cover. Can we narrow it down any, kids?"

"Well, Jack, we can't eliminate Ur just yet. The primary temple in the city was to Nanna. I would hazard a guess that nothing of value will remain within the city itself, but we should probably trace the major expeditions and see if they have any interesting artifacts. The major reason to keep Ur in mind is the fact that it has been used as a necropolis, a city of the dead, for centuries."

"City of the dead? Like zombies?"

"Uh, no Jack. Like huge cemeteries. Many middle eastern cities have them. There's a huge one in Cairo, for example. All I'm saying is that the sarcophagus may have been mistaken for something like an altar. If so, there is a possibility that we may find it among the artifacts from Ur."

"Give us some names, Daniel. We'll get the archaeological staff of the SGC on them."

"In case I-" Daniel made little flitting motions with his fingers.

"No, because more hands make light work, Daniel." Jack drawled defiantly.

"Ah. Well. Okay. There's Pietra della Valle from the 1600s. I think he mostly is associated with some of the initial linguistic finds and some of the early seals. J.E. Taylor excavated the site. He found the link between Bel-sarra-Uzur and the Biblical Balshazzar from the Book of Daniel. This ties in to Nebuchadnezzar and the Tower of Babel, so it may be important." Daniel bounced his fingertips against the coffee table as he tried to think. "Okay. The British Museum founded some expeditions. So did the University of Pennsylvania. In the 20s and 30s. Oh! Woolley excavated many of the tombs. I think… I think that should give us a good start."

"Any other cities?"

"They are all potential leads, Jack. For now, we should stick with the most likely. If those don't pan out, we can move on to the next most logical. I think that we should also look at Babylon. This was, after all, the city dedicated to Marduk." Daniel liberated a book from Sam and flipped through the pages, opening it up and placing it on the coffee table. He tapped his finger on the picture of a large building, spiralling up toward Heaven. "Etemananki. The Tower of Babel. It-" Daniel broke off and shook his head, one hand touching his temple.

"Daniel Jackson?"

"I'm fine, Teal'c. Wow. Just for a moment there, I had a spike through my head."

The Jaffa's eyebrow climbed upward. "I assure you, Daniel Jackson, you had no such thing."

"Figure of speech, Teal'c. Carter?" The Captain nodded as she stepped into Janet's shoes and sat next to Daniel on the couch, placing the pressure cuff around his arm.

"How's the head now, Daniel?"

Daniel didn't answer immediately. He gave the question some thought. "I'm… I'm fine now. Low grade headache. Something there just felt like I'd been kicked in the head. I suppose this means Myomis wants out, right?"

Jack made a face, while Carter reached out and touched Daniel's shoulder. "We'll keep working on this, Daniel. I promise."

With a slight shudder, Daniel bent his head. "Then let's see how much I can tell you before my unwanted houseguest takes over. Alright, Etemananki. The foundation stone of Heaven and Earth."

"Our boy Belus doesn't seem to do things in half measures."

"Definitely the overachiever in the family." Daniel managed a shaky grin. "A seven-tier ziggurat begun by Nabapolassar and completed by Nebuchadnezzar at the command of the god, Marduk. Some say that the ziggurat was actually eight stages, with the eighth being the temple. Others say that there were only seven stages. Either way, the temple is at the top." Daniel made a fist, rapping on his forehead with his knuckles. "I can't remember. Ask the staff at the SGC about this. I remember some of this. There may have been reference to a golden altar in the temple, possibly a second stone altar. Ow!"

Daniel cut off his explanation to abruptly curl up on the couch, hands over his head.

"Daniel?" Jack sat down beside Daniel, Sam on the other side. Jack took Daniel by the shoulders and forced him upright against the back of the couch. "Spike back, Daniel?"

White-faced, the archaeologist simply nodded his head, eyes closed. "Jack. I- Oh, God. Jack." Colonel and Captain straightened up and looked at each other. The last word was not in Daniel's clear tones, but in Myomis's accented speech. The Oannes continued. "My head hurts, Jack." Jack's eyes went wider as Daniel was suddenly back with them. "God!" Daniel turned and grabbed Jack's arms. "Was that Myomis? I heard him. Jack, what?"

"Daniel, I need you to calm down. Your blood pressure is way too high. Colonel, I think we should get him back to the base."

"No! No, I'm fine. It was just- I heard him talking, and it was like I had no control. Like a Goa'uld." Daniel shook his head and allowed Jack to push him down on to the couch as Sam prepared one of the injections that Janet had left for them.

Daniel, this is serious."

"Not yet, Sam. Not yet. Please, Jack." Daniel's voice trailed off as Carter gave him the injection. He forced himself to relax and stay still until the medicine took hold and pulled him the rest of the way under.

"Sir?" Sam looked to her commanding officer to make the decision.

Jack shook his head. "Janet should be calling soon. We'll do what she says."

- - - - -

Hammond leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together. He looked from one doctor to the other. "Alright. We're here to discuss Doctor Jackson's progress. Doctor Fraiser, what can you report of Doctor Jackson's behaviour over the weekend."

Janet paused for a moment, making a show of gathering her notes while she played for time. "Well, sir, I'm sorry to report that the Myomis personality is once again active. However, I-"

"Active?" Mackenzie broke in, his tone mild but his manner severe. "Doctor Fraiser, I was under the impression that I am the head psychiatrist of this facility. Any relapses of this nature should have been immediately brought to my attention."

"Doctor Mackenzie, I feel that in this case-"

"Doctor Fraiser, your feelings in this case are irrelevant. Doctor Jackson's-"

"Doctor Jackson's health has been and will continue to remain my primary concern!" Janet's voice began to get louder as she processed Mackenzie's rather unsubtle digs.

"That is enough!" Hammond broke in. "I needn't remind either of you that this is the military. We have protocols and we have rules. I will not accept a briefing that degenerates into a schoolyard brawl." Both medical personnel looked suitably chastened by that. Hammond brought his hands together, interlacing his fingers and resting his arms on the table. "Better." He looked to Janet. "Doctor Fraiser, perhaps you could give Doctor Mackenzie and myself an indication of why you did not report Doctor Jackson's condition to us immediately."

Fraiser nodded, subdued. "Well, sir, I determined that there had been a change in Doctor Jackson's condition when I heard two of the gate SFs sending their regards to Captain Carter. I cornered Captain Carter and Teal'c and asked for an explanation."

"What did they have to say?" Hammond leaned forward, curious.

"Sir, it appears that when Captain Carter went to check on Doctor Jackson earlier in the day, she found him sitting at his desk, apparently lost in thought. When she managed to get his attention, it was Myomis who responded, not Doctor Jackson."

"Interesting." Mackenzie spoke dryly, going through his papers.

"And he has remained Myomis this whole time?"

Janet shook her head sharply. "No, sir. He switches back and forth. It seems that each of the switches is preceded by a headache and a spike in his blood pressure. I'd like to bring him back for some testing."

Hammond turned to the psychiatrist. "Doctor Mackenzie?"

"Sir, I wish at this time to register my objections. Doctor Jackson should be in an appropriate care facility. I believe he should be returned to base, yes, but only as a stop-over before we transfer him to Mental Health."

"What? No!" Janet burst out. "Sir, you can't let this happen. I believe that Daniel is manifesting a distinct and separate personality. This no longer fits the diagnosis of schizophrenia. We may have to consider that Doctor Jackson is host to an alien life-form."

"General." Mackenzie broke in with his maddeningly calm voice. "I have been doing some research and I have to agree with Doctor Fraiser."

"You what?" Janet frowned.

"Yes. Doctor Jackson's symptoms initially correlated quite highly to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. However, as Doctor Fraiser has pointed out, these symptoms appear to be changing and following a new path."

"New?" Janet echoed suspiciously.

"Please explain, Doctor Mackenzie." Hammond gave the psychiatrist the floor.

"Thank you, sir. Initially, Doctor Jackson expressed symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Despite the long standing assumptions that schizophrenia results in a fragmentation of the mind and an emergent new personality, the disease actually has very little to do with 'split personalities'."

Mackenzie continued. "Doctor Jackson exhibited signs of schizophrenia which included impairment of thinking and judgmental processes. He had inappropriate responses to normal situations and was clearly suffering from delusions involving this 'Myomis' personality. From what Doctor Fraiser is stating now, we may have moved beyond that."

"How so?" The General questioned, looking quickly between the two doctors.

"Well, General, I originally interpreted Doctor Jackson's Myomis dreams and that unfortunate incident in the infirmary as resulting from a delusional state. Schizophrenic patients often suffer from either hallucinations or delusions. There are a number of delusional states. For example, paranoid delusions cause the patient to believe that others are out to 'get them'. Grandiose delusions can make the patient believe that they possess great wealth or fame. Thought insertion or broadcasting delusions lead the patient to believe that their thoughts are alternately being read by an outside agency or being inserted by an outside, hostile agency." He looked over his glasses at Hammond. "Religious delusions cause the patient to believe that they are in contact with a divine being, or that they have received a message from God. This is especially relevant in this case, I believe."

"How so?" Hammond asked.

"Well, Myomis is a Babylonian God."

"Sir, I must protest!" Fraiser broke in. "Myomis, the character of Myomis, is present in the ancient histories of Babylon. These same histories also include the character of Apsu, the being we now know as Nem. Nem is a real being, perhaps Myomis is as well."

"That may well be the case, Doctor Fraiser, but this is not relevant to the matter at hand. Doctor Jackson, by your own words, is now switching back and forth between several personalities."

"One!"

"Two. Doctor Jackson and the ancient God called Myomis."

Janet shook her head, frustrated. "Again, you-"

"Doctor Jackson and Myomis, then."

"What are you suggesting, Doctor Mackenzie?" Hammond prodded the psychiatrist on.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"Oh, God!" Fraiser burst out. "Multiple personality disorder? You can't be serious."

"Doctor Fraiser." Hammond's calm voice cut through Janet's protestations. "I'd like to hear what Doctor Mackenzie is suggesting."

"Thank you, sir. I'd like to test Doctor Jackson. There are psychological exams that can help us pin down the nature of the illness."

"Provided that the origin is terrestrial." Janet muttered.

"Doctor Fraiser." Hammond sighed. "At this time, I'd like for you to arrange for Doctor Jackson to be returned to the base for further testing and monitoring. SG1 is not to have any say in this. If they do not willingly return Doctor Jackson to this facility, advise them that I will order SFs to be sent out to retrieve him."

Janet's mouth dropped open, but she recovered quickly. "Sir. I have to protest again. Doctor Jackson should remain within this base and be monitored in close quarters until the true nature of his condition can be determined. I'm asking you not to allow Doctor Mackenzie to take him to Mental Health."

Hammond looked between the two doctors, weighing the request. Finally, he nodded. "Alright, Doctor Fraiser, for the moment we will be conducting all of the necessary tests in an isolation room, pending further diagnosis. My primary concern here is that Doctor Jackson receives the care he needs. Doctor Fraiser, you are dismissed."

"Sir." Janet stood up reluctantly.

"Doctor Mackenzie, I want a report and a plan of action on my desk as soon as possible." Hammond did not look up as Fraiser closed the door.

- - - - -

Jack put down the receiver and looked over at Daniel, asleep on the sofa. "Doc says she wants us to bring him in."

"Sir?' Carter looked up from the computer. She had been putting all of their findings into point form to present to the General.

"Yeah. We gotta bring him in. Fraiser's acting sort of spooky, so I guess this newest development must not be good. She says that the General wants to keep him in for observation."

"Well, alright. I know Janet will do what's best. Maybe when Daniel- Myomis- when _he_ wakes up, we'll be able to get more information."

Sam saved her file to a disc and pocketed it, shutting down the computer while Jack packed up a travel bag for Daniel. In half an hour, they were ready to go. It was Jack who was left the unenviable task of waking Daniel. The Colonel took the cautious approach. He came at Daniel from the end of the couch, squeezing the man's toes.

"C'mon, Daniel. Up and at 'em."

"Jack?" Daniel's voice rose querulously as he woke and slowly started to curl up and face his tormentor.

"Daniel. Let's go. Fraiser wants us back on base. She's worried about this spike through the head thing you have going."

"Spike?" Daniel was confused for a moment, before the memory kicked in. He nodded then and rose to a sitting position, scratching as his jaw as he yawned.

"Go clean up. We leave as soon as you're ready."

"Sure, Jack. Give me a minute."

Jack held out an arm, allowing Daniel to slip past and head off to the guest bedroom. He merely shrugged at Carter's look.

- - - - -

Twenty minutes later, the shower had stopped. Jack went to check on Daniel and found him fully dressed and shaving. He leaned against the doorway as Daniel washed away the shaving cream. Jack watched the lather swirl away into the drain.

_Help me, Jack!_

Shuddering, Jack forced himself to look away from the bubbles and back to the archaeologist.

"So. You ready for this?"

"Ready for what, Jack?"

"Ready to go back to the base?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"Well, Fraiser told the General."

Daniel looked up from the towel in which he had buried his face. "She did?"

"And he wants you brought back for observations."

Daniel put the towel down and leaned against the wash basin. "He does?" He spoke softly, more of an affirmation than a question, and sighed. "He does."

"Daniel."

"It's fine, Jack. They are only doing what they think is best. As long as-"

"I know, I remember. Mackenzie won't take you away. No matter what."

Daniel shot Jack a short, sidelong look and smiled quickly. "Thank you." He looked back up at his reflection in the mirror. "I'm not insane, you know."

"I know." Jack whispered.

"I'm not." Daniel reached up his hand and touched the bathroom mirror, fingertips brushing his own reflection. "I'm…" Abruptly he let out a strangled cry and his knees buckled.

"Jack." Myomis gasped. "I hear Daniel. I-"

The Oannes' eyes rolled back in his head and Jack lowered him to the bathroom floor. "Carter! Teal'c!" Jack bellowed as Daniel began to convulse. The two other members of SG1 entered the bedroom at a flat run.

"Colonel!"

"Help him." Jack grated as he grabbed for Daniel's shaking arms. Teal'c immediately restrained Daniel's legs as Sam propped up his head. As one, they muscled him on to his side and held him in the recovery position until his body stilled and he went quiet.

"Dammit." Jack sat back against the bathroom sink as Carter smoothed Daniel's long hair back from his forehead. "Carter, call Fraiser. Tell her we're coming in now and tell her what happened."

"Yes, sir." Carter pulled her cell phone from her pocket and stepped carefully over Daniel as she dialled.

"Teal'c?"

"I will assist you, O'Neill." Jack nodded as they worked to try to get Daniel upright. The archaeologist's body was limp between them, his head lolling forward as the manoeuvred his arms over their shoulders. Carter met them in the driveway as they eased Daniel into Jack's truck.

"Janet will be waiting. She says to give her a call when we're five minutes from the base and she'll have a team waiting topside for us."

"Good." Jack's reply was curt. "Get in and let's go."

- - - - -

Janet was as good as her word, opening the door and reaching for Daniel before Jack had turned the engine off. She worked efficiently, transferring him from truck to stretcher. Her team began to check him over, while she questioned O'Neill. In short order, she nodded and the team took off at a run leaving SG1-missing-one dazed and confused, still inside the truck.

With a curse, Jack slammed his palm against the steering wheel and bolted after the doctor, held up briefly by the sign-in process. They were called back as they reached the entrance. An SF was standing there, a large black phone receiver against his ear.

"The General wants to see you, sir."

Jack grimaced. "Ah, fine. Carter, you and Teal'c-"

"All three of you, sir."

"Damn." Jack nodded at the SF and motioned for his team to precede him into the mountain.

- - - - -


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

"Colonel, I'd like to know what you were thinking!" Hammond exploded as they entered his office. He left them waiting for twenty minutes outside his office before calling them in. He hadn't even let them sit down yet. All three were standing at attention, backs straight and eyes forward.

"Sir, Daniel wasn't sick when we left."

"Was Doctor Jackson himself when you left this base on Friday?"

"Himself, sir? Well-"

"Colonel, was or was not Doctor Jackson presenting himself as an alien being known as Myomis?"

Jack looked down. "He was Myomis, sir."

"And yet, you still took him off base. In fact, you employed subterfuge to take him off base."

"Sir, we discussed it, and we all agreed that it would be only for the weekend." Sam tried to explain.

"And did Doctor Jackson agree to this course of action, Captain Carter?"

Carter looked uncertain. "Not- not at the time, sir. But subsequent to that, he voiced no objections."

"In fact, sir, Daniel asked us to let him stay with us." Jack said.

"Indeed. Daniel Jackson was quite adamant about his refusal to be returned to the base."

"So, why is he back?" The general turned back to Jack.

Jack shifted uncomfortably. The General was slowly but surely backing them into a corner. "He became ill this morning, General."

"Ill, Colonel?"

"Yes sir. Headaches and confusion. He…"

"Yes, Colonel. He what?"

"He had a seizure. He started convulsing."

"I see, Colonel. And had he exhibited these same symptoms previously?" There it was. The General was going in for the kill. Now Carter started shifting miserably, finally catching on. The General sensed Jack's stalling tactics. "Colonel."

"Yes." Jack replied slowly. "He had those same symptoms earlier this week, sir."

"I see." Hammond walked slowly in front of the three soldiers, his hands clasped behind his back. "Earlier this week, you say. Was he at home at this time?"

"No, sir." This was agonizing. Jack wanted it done with, but the General knew what he was doing.

"Where was he, Colonel?" Hammond's voice was soft now, but his tone brooked no disobedience, no flip remarks.

"Daniel-" Jack shook his head. "General-"

"Colonel." Hammond over-rode him, face to face. "Where was Doctor Jackson?"

Jack clenched his fists and straightened up as far as he could. "He was in the infirmary."

"In the infirmary. Under Doctor's care, Colonel?"

"Yes, sir."

"Would it not seem wise to assume that if the same symptoms occurred that the same treatment would be warranted?"

"Sir, we just thought-"

"And that is the problem, Colonel. This was not your call to make. This was not your life to risk."

"To risk?" Sam gasped. "General?"

Hammond shook his head. "Doctor Fraiser tells me that Doctor Jackson is quite ill. She was forced to restrain him. He is uncommunicative and combative and apparently in a lot of pain and it seems to be getting worse. Doctor Haller is attempting to translate some of what he is saying, so far with little success."

"Sir, it's been less than two hours." Jack tried to comprehend what the General was saying. "He was fine when he woke up this morning."

"Well, Colonel, he is not fine now. Doctor Fraiser is administering medicine by IV, but so far he is proving to be extremely uncooperative."

"General Hammond, may we visit Daniel Jackson? Our presence may help calm him."

"Yeah, General, permission to speak freely?" Jack waited until the General nodded curtly and then ran his fingers through his hair before continuing. We screwed up. We know. Please, don't make Daniel pay for it. We can help him." Jack's hands were up, forgetting his military posture as he pleaded with his CO.

"That is no longer my call to make." Hammond's voice softened slightly.

"Then we'll ask Fraiser."

"I'm sorry, Jack. You'll have to ask Doctor Mackenzie. I've placed Doctor Jackson under his care."

"Oh, God." Sam whispered quietly, her hand belatedly covering her mouth as if she could pull back the words.

Hammond tilted his head and sighed. "SG1, you are dismissed." He gave each of them a look that promised that they would be discussing this again, _soon_. With a few hurried nods, Jack led his team out the door and in search of Daniel.

They checked the infirmary first. It was empty. Finally, they cornered a nurse and Jack brow-beat her into revealing Fraiser's location. One of the isolation rooms. They practically jogged down the twisting maze of corridors.

They knew they had arrived at the right place when they saw the two guards standing watch. Mackenzie must have warned them. Hearing some of the commotion, Doctor Fraiser exited the observation room next to the isolation room and joined the three.

"Doc, what the hell is this?" Jack demanded.

"Colonel, I have to ask you to keep your voice down. I don't want Doctor Jackson agitated. We just got him settled."

"Janet, what happened? Daniel was fine this morning."

The doctor shook her head. "I can't say. I've now had a chance to do some in depth testing. I've taken the blood samples and I'll be able to say more clearly when I get the results. For now, he seems to be switching back and forth between personalities. Doctor Mackenzie-"

"What the hell is Mackenzie doing anywhere near him?"

"Colonel, this is out of my hands, and out of yours."

"Mackenzie is just going to lock him up. You know that."

"Sir, Doctor Mackenzie is doing what he thinks is best, and in all fairness, his methods did provide a measure of relief for Doctor Jackson earlier."

"Mackenzie doesn't know what he is dealing with here. Has anyone considered the possibility that everything Daniel said is true and that he has the personality of a long-dead alien inside his mind?"

"Colonel, all I can tell you is that we all want Daniel healthy again. We're doing the best we can."

"May we speak with Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c broke in. Janet shook her head.

"At this point, until we can get him stabilized, I don't want anyone disturbing him." She jerked her head toward the door. "You can come in and watch for a short time, quietly."

Jack sighed, but he had to be content with that.

- - - - -

"Daniel." Jack put his palm flat on the glass separating him from the isolation room.

"Janet?" Sam's voice cracked on the word, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"I know. He's very restless. We're trying to keep him calm but his blood pressure is well into the danger zone." Jack's hand tightened into a fist as he stared at the figure on the bed.

Daniel was in white hospital scrubs and tied to the bed with restraints around his wrists, ankles, stomach and chest. An IV pole stood next to the bed and wires trailed across his shoulders and under his shirt and back to the monitoring equipment. His body was slightly twisted in the restraints as if he had simply fallen asleep in the middle of throwing himself from side to side.

As his team-mates watched, horrified, Daniel's eyes opened half way and he started talking to himself. Every so often, his eyes would shut and he would make soft, strangled noises.

"Doctor Mackenzie wants to keep him sedated for a day or two. Hopefully, we can get his blood pressure under control again. That should help with the headaches."

"Do you no longer believe in Myomis, Doctor Fraiser?" Teal'c asked the question that none of the others had been able to speak.

Janet's lips thinned into a fine line as she turned toward her patient. "My only concern is-"

"Daniel, yes. You've said that. Repeatedly. That's not what Teal'c asked."

Janet finally turned back, looking up at O'Neill. "Colonel, I don't know what to think any more." She took a deep breath. "Doctor Mackenzie is in control now."

"Dammit." Jack whispered harshly.

- - - - -

The next 48 hours passed very slowly for SG1. At least one of them sat in the observation booth at all times. They had Carter's laptop, Daniel's laptop, and several reams of paper with them as they continued Daniel's work and tried to piece together some possible leads on Ea and Myomis.

Finally, the archaeological branch of the SGC came up with some good news.

"So, whatcha got?" Jack began brusquely as he entered the archaeology lab. Carter was with him. They had left Teal'c behind to watch Daniel. Haller and a tall, lean African-American sergeant by the name of Fulton looked up at him in surprise.

"Colonel O'Neill. You are very prompt." Haller began. "I swear I just hung up the phone."

Jack waved a hand, cutting him off. "What did you find?" He brought them ruthlessly back on topic. Haller and Fulton exchanged glances.

"Well, sir, following up on what you gave us, we may have a lead on the, um, stasis chamber you mentioned in your report."

"Really?" Carter stepped forward. "Where?" She held her hand out for a copy of the papers that Fulton was reviewing.

"Babylon." Fulton supplied succinctly.

Jack snapped his fingers. "Eta- Itsi-" He waved a hand at Sam.

"Etemananki. The Tower of Babel. Daniel spoke of it as a possible lead."

"Right. You mentioned that in your report, Captain Carter. Look at this." Haller unrolled a poster-sized map on the table top. It was a fairly new map of what looked like aerial plans of a building site. Haller cleared his throat. "This is the city plan for Babylon. See, like a fortress, it was surrounded on four sides by water. The western edge of the moat was likely the Euphrates River itself. From north to south, we have the Northern Palace and the Southern Palace. This road," Haller ran his finger down the narrow strip running north-south, "Is called the Processional. We go past the temple to Nabu."

"Nabu?" Carter looked up. "Myomis didn't mention any Nabu."

"The son of Marduk, Captain." Haller explained. "That's to the west, and the temple of Ishtar is to the east. Here and here." Haller's fingers tapped on two sites to the south east. "This is the ziggurat of Marduk and this is E-saggila. The Sergeant and I looked into these site specifically."

Fulton took over the narrative. "There are a number of references to altars within Marduk's tower. Herodotus mentions a 'table of gold' and a 'couch of unusual size' in which the god, Marduk, was reported to use as a sleeping chamber. Now, neither of those altars is present on the site. The Tower has long since been reduced to rubble."

"In other words, a dead end. Great." Jack groused.

"Not quite, Colonel." Haller put up a hand. "I'll spare you the details, but there was some Goa'uld writing on a few of the pieces recovered from Babylon. We put those together with some pieces found in other locations. We are probably looking for Borsippa, the city dedicated to Nabu."

"Marduk's son."

"Yes, Captain."

"Have excavations of Borsippa been undertaken?"

"Actually, we are not looking at Borsippa on Earth." Haller was getting excited. "We traced some of the writings and found some of the original script relating to Borsippa."

"And?" Jack exploded.

"Colonel." Fulton shoved a pile of photographs forward. "These photographs were taken on P2R 171. SG8 did the initial survey two months ago."

"I remember this planet. Daniel was very excited about the potential linguistic findings."

"True, Captain, but there's more."

"More?"

"Yes, Colonel. The local people of the planet worshipped the God Nabu, and the planet's name was…" Haller left the name hanging to see if SG1 would pick up on the significance. Carter spoke first.

"Borsippa."

- - - - -

"Doctor Mackenzie, I take it that you have a report for me?" Hammond gestured for the psychiatrist to take a seat in front of his desk. The General then returned to his own chair and sat, giving Mackenzie his full attention.

"I have an interim report for you, General Hammond. I'm afraid full diagnosis may take some time. Doctor Jackson is proving to be quite a challenge."

"He's a good man, Doctor Mackenzie."

"Even good men can become ill, General."

Hammond sighed. "What can you tell me?"

Mackenzie shuffled some papers. "Doctor Jackson was originally placed under my care suffering from what appeared to be the onset of schizophrenia."

"You said that you were changing that diagnosis."

"I am not yet prepared to state categorically that Doctor Jackson is suffering from DID. He appears to meet some of the criteria. I'll be evaluating him with some standard testing methods in a few days, once Doctor Fraiser is able to get his system stabilized."

Mackenzie adjusted his glasses and looked over the rims at the General. "For the time being, I may start him on a course of haloperidol again. There seemed to be some fairly significant benefits from it last time."

Hammond sighed. "What will you need to form a firm diagnosis?"

"General Hammond, this would be easier to accomplish if I could move Doctor Jackson to Mental Health-"

"Absolutely not." Hammond interrupted. "Until I give the word, Doctor Jackson will remain a guest of the SGC. I'm not yet prepared to take that final step."

The psychiatrist gave Hammond a long stare over the tops of his glasses and then nodded. "I understand." He let out a short breath. "Over the next few days, when Doctor Jackson is once again responsive, I will be evaluating his mental state. One of the tools I will use is the Dissociative Experience Scale. It helps to evaluate a subject's risk level when it comes to dissociative disorders. I have already placed a request for the full details of Doctor Jackson's foster records. Often disorders like DID come about as a result of severe abuse and trauma in childhood. Other tools such as hypnosis may help with the diagnostic process."

"Alright, Doctor Mackenzie. Keep me apprised of the progress of your work with Doctor Jackson." Hammond looked up at a knock on his door. Nodding to the psychiatrist, he called, "Come in."

O'Neill flung the door open and practically jogged in. His open expression vanished at the sight of Mackenzie in the room and he scowled at the doctor.

"Colonel. What can I do for you?"

"Ah, well, sir. How's Daniel?" He addressed Hammond, but his eyes were fixed on Mackenzie.

The psychiatrist looked up from his notes. "Doctor Jackson is slowly responding to treatment. Anything more would be a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality."

"Mackenzie-"

"Colonel. Is there anything else?" Hammond reined Jack in before he could go too far.

"Well, okay, yeah. Could we see Daniel, sir? We'd like to actually let him know that there are still people around who care about him."

Hammond looked down at his desk. "Colonel, if nobody cared about Doctor Jackson, he would be in quite a different situation, I promise you that."

"Yes sir, tied to a table screaming, 'when you care to send your very best'."

"Colonel O'Neill." Hammond's tone held a definite note of warning. Jack put his hands up defensively.

"We just want to tell him we're there, sir."

"Doctor Mackenzie, have you any medical reason why the rest of SG1 should be barred from visiting Doctor Jackson?"

Mackenzie looked like he wanted to deny Jack's request, but in the end, he could not. "No, sir. A short, carefully monitored visit should do no harm. In fact it may help us monitor Doctor Jackson's reactions as we reintroduce the haloperidol into his system."

Jack grimaced. "He's telling the truth, you know. Myomis is real."

"Myomis. This genetic memory Doctor Jackson claims to be manifesting."

"He is."

"Tell me, Colonel, did Doctor Jackson explain to you how Myomis died?"

Jack took his time answering, wary of a trap. "Yes."

"Colonel O'Neill, genetic memory is the theory that all the knowledge possessed by a person is passed to their descendents in their DNA, yes?"

"I guess."

"Then presumably Daniel received the memories of Myomis passed down through his children."

"Sounds right."

"Then please tell me, Colonel, how Daniel can carry the memories of his progenitor's death… an event that occurred well after Myomis… 'passed along' his genetic material to his children?"

"I…" Jack's gaze switched from Hammond's mildly concerned face to Mackenzie's imperturbable stare. "What?"

Mackenzie stood, putting his folders under one arm as Jack digested his revelation. He nodded to the General and took his leave before Jack could formulate a reply.

"Have a seat, son." Hammond's voice was soft. Jack dropped bonelessly to the chair. "I know this is difficult."

"He's not lying, sir. I swear. If you could have only talked to Myomis."

"Find me some proof, Colonel."

Jack swivelled in his chair. "We might have. Haller and his team think that we may have a bead on Bor- Bospa-" Jack waved his hands dismissively. "A Goa'uld world where some clues to this whole Omoroca business might be found. SG8 went there a little while ago. Request permission to take a team there and have a look around?"

Hammond laced his fingers together and contemplated Jack's request. "Have a written plan on my desk with 24 hours. If it looks good, you'll have a go."

"Thank you, sir." Jack nodded as he stood.

"Dismissed, Colonel. Go look in on Doctor Jackson."

- - - - -

Jack, Sam and Teal'c stood before the door to the isolation room, each trying to prepare themselves for the visit ahead. Mackenzie would be monitoring them from the observation room, and Fraiser would come in with them. Daniel's blood pressure was almost stable now, but his dopamine levels were far out of range. None of them knew what would be waiting for them on the other side of the door.

Finally, Jack looked to the rest of his team and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly as he turned the knob and quietly entered the room.

He meant to take slow, measured steps in the room, but his resolve lasted roughly two seconds before he was all but jogging to Daniel's bedside.

"Daniel?" He bent over the bed, hands clenched in the white sheets. Daniel's eyes opened a sliver and he rolled his head sideways.

"Jack?" His voice was hoarse. His head lolled in the other direction as Sam took his hand. "Who?"

"It's Sam, Daniel. Teal'c's here too."

Daniel attempted to raise his head, but was unable to, due to the drugs in his system.

"Hey. Where you guys been?" Daniel's head flopped back down to the bed and he rolled his eyes at Jack. "I've been calling for you." He coughed lightly. "Feels like forever."

"Dammit." Jack subvocalised. "We're here, Daniel. We've been following your leads."

"Jack. I know why my head hurts. Myomis and I… We can talk." He tried to focus on Jack, but the effort simply made his eyes roll back in his skull.

Jack shot a look at Frasier and back up at the mirrored observation room.

"Wh- What?"

Daniel nodded. "Uh huh. Head hurts when the other wants out. Starting to share my head, Jack. Can talk to Myomis some times." His eyes scrunched shut. "He wants to come out."

He closed his eyes again. "Jack. We are talking."

"Myomis." Jack touched Daniel's cheek with the tips of his fingers. "Focus, Myomis. We're going to Borsippa."

"Why is my head so unbalanced? Feels too full."

"You have medicine in you, Myomis." Sam's voice broke as she tried to explain.

"Myomis, we want Daniel back." Jack tried to get the Oannes' attention again.

"I'm here, Jack. You… said Borsippa? City by… Babylon."

"P2R 171, Daniel Jackson."

"Teal'c? Oh. SG8?" Daniel's forehead wrinkled as he fought to think. "Feels like I'm in a fog. Natives worshipped-" His voice trailed off as he gathered his strength.

"Nabu." Carter supplied.

Daniel nodded and forced his eyes to focus on his CO. "Jack, please. I'm not sick. You have to get me out of here. Please. Make them stop." Exhausted by the long speech, his eyes closed.

Jack put his hands on either side of Daniel's face and drew his gaze back up. "Daniel, we'll be on Borsippa for a few days. We'll look for Omoroca's altar there. We'll come back as soon as possible."

"Please. Believe me, Jack."

"Daniel, we believe you." Sam whispered and touched her lips to his brow. She straightened up and brushed the hair back from his forehead. She gave him a watery smile and then backed out of the room.

"Daniel Jackson. Gather your strength. We shall return as quickly as we are able."

"Sam… Teal'c." He murmured. Teal'c gripped his forearm lightly and then left to join Sam.

"Jack. Believe me?"

"We'll be back soon, Daniel. We'll come visit you when we can."

"Believe me?" Daniel insisted, forcing his eyes open.

Jack grimaced. "Rest. Sleep. We'll be back."

O'Neill left Daniel's bedside and headed toward the door. He stopped only once as Daniel called out his name.

"Jack?"

O'Neill forced himself on, out of the room, unable to meet that confused gaze any more.

He closed the door and then leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. Looking up, he met another pair of confused blue eyes. "Sir? What was that all about?"

"Nothing, Carter." Jack stood up.

"Do you no longer believe Daniel Jackson, O'Neill?" Teal'c tilted his head and got to the heart of the matter.

"Of course I-" Jack looked up at Teal'c and gave a little wincing smile. "I don't know, okay? Mackenzie said some things."

"What did he say, sir?"

Jack took a moment to gather his thoughts. "He asked me about this genetic memory. Carter, you understand the theory, right?"

Sam gave a little head roll. "Well, I understand enough."

"So, how can Daniel remember Myomis's death?"

"What?" Sam looked quickly at Teal'c. "Sir, I-"

"If the memory is passed along with the DNA, how can Daniel have memories of something that occurred after the DNA was," Jack rolled his hands, trying to think of a word. "After it was contributed?"

"Well." Sam began to explain, and was brought up short. "Oh." She cocked her head. "Well it- It-"

"He can't, right? Teal'c?"

"I cannot explain it, O'Neill. Clearly he did."

"Did he?"

"Colonel, you can't think?"

"I don't know what to think, Captain. For now, Daniel is maybe getting a little better. Let's just get this mission underway and hope somewhere, something starts to make sense."

- - - - -

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

Borsippa was a desert world. SG1 plus Haller and Fulton arrived through the wormhole to squint dazedly at the sun. All five were in desert camouflage, and Jack stopped for a moment to adjust his baseball cap, pulling the brim lower.

"Alright, Haller, our first goal is to locate the temple. Did SG8 give you any ideas where that might be?"

"Two possible locations, Colonel. We go down this road for about two klicks to the ruins of the main city. The other way is east of here, about one klick. That is a small temple."

Fulton added, "SG8 speculated that the smaller temple is dedicated to Marduk, just as Babylon has a smaller temple dedicated to Nabu."

"Alright. Carter, Teal'c and Fulton, you take the main city. Haller, you're with me. Check in every 30 minutes.

- - - - -

Mackenzie sat back in his chair and rubbed his hand across his forehead. This was certainly a challenging case. Elements of Doctor Jackson's personnel file certainly lent themselves to the diagnosis of DID, better known as Multiple Personality Disorder. A child who had no stable home, moving from dig site to dig site and brought up in a different culture. Parents who may have been distant and preoccupied. No regular schooling until the age of eight. Poor socialization skills. The trauma of witnessing his parents' death. Years in the foster care system. Entering school early with little to no support. It was a veritable breeding ground for psychological disorders. Mackenzie could only admire Doctor Jackson's ability to have held himself together this far. With any luck, he would be able to put the admittedly bright and gifted young man back together again.

He watched the man on the gurney. The haloperidol was starting to take effect. Doctor Jackson was calmer, quieter. Fraiser had done well. Her patient's blood pressure was no longer in the dangerous range, although it was still elevated. If the haloperidol continued to work well, then the diagnosis may well be schizophrenia. If it didn't, then he would have to continue on with the DID treatments.

Mackenzie pulled out a file of papers. He was looking through the list of diagnostic symptoms. Doctor Jackson met a disconcerting number of them. _Able to ignore pain? _Doctor Jackson's colleagues spoke of him being able to work despite what would later become crippling headaches. _Missing part of a conversation? _Doctor Jackson was missing hours of conversations. _Usually difficult things can be done with ease and spontaneity? _How about speaking a long-dead language fluently when previously only a rough translation could be made?

Mackenzie tapped the paper and nodded his head. _Remembering the past so vividly that one seems to be living it? Staring into space? Not sure if an event happened or if it was a dream? _Yes, yes and yes. Amazing how profound his dissociative tendencies had become.

The psychiatrist started ticking off points as he ran down the list, using both his observations and the reports that SG1 and the medical staff had made.

_Not sure whether one has done something or only thought about it? _Perhaps not. _So involved in fantasy that it seems real_? Perhaps. _Being accused of lying when one is telling the truth?_ Perhaps not yet. There was no evidence that he was telling the truth. _Other people and objects do not seem real_? No evidence of that. _Looking at the world through a fog_? No. _Not recognizing one's reflection in a mirror_? So far, not an issue.

_Absorption in television program or movie_? No. _Finding evidence of having done things one can't remember doing_? Not as such. _Not remembering important events in one's life_? Doctor Jackson's memory seemed fine. _Seeing oneself as if looking at another person_? No. _Hearing voices inside one's head_? Doctor Jackson's expression of a separate identity seemed to be external projections.

_Talking out loud to oneself when alone_? Mackenzie looked up at Doctor Jackson who was shaking his head and carrying on quite an animated conversation with himself. _Feeling as though one were two different people_? The conversation in the observation room got slightly louder and Mackenzie made a neat little check-mark next to that line. _Feeling as though one's body is not one's own_? Again, the shared body syndrome.

_Being approached by strangers who call one by a different name_? Considering that Doctor Jackson's alter ego was a long-dead mythological figure, that was not likely. _Driving a car and realizing one doesn't remember part of the trip_? Fortunately Doctor Jackson's team-mates were not that negligent and they had chauffeured him everywhere. _Finding unfamiliar things among one's belongings?_ Again, given the mythological aspect of the Myomis personality, this is not likely. _Finding oneself in a place but unaware of how one got there_? Doctor Jackson's trip from the base to Colonel O'Neill's house, the return trip to the base.

_Being in a familiar place but finding it unfamiliar? _ Doctor Jackson's dramatic awakening in the infirmary, for example. _Finding notes or drawings that one must have done but doesn't remember doing? _ O'Neill had emailed a series of sketches done by the Myomis personality to the archaeological department. _Not recognizing friends or family members? _ Reference again the infirmary scene. _Finding oneself dressed in clothes one doesn't remember putting on? _ One could read between the lines of Colonel O'Neill's report of the evenings when one personality would be put to bed and a second personality would wake up.

Mackenzie shook his head. A sad state of affairs. He would have to write a report for the General. SG1 would undoubtedly want to visit Daniel when they returned from offworld in 48 hours. He would also have to evaluate that. Their previous visit had upset the archaeologist for some reason. He had become withdrawn and silent, speaking only when he was alone.

The psychiatrist checked his watch. Time for some dinner and then he would return to continue his evaluation.

- - - - -

"Sweet." O'Neill gave an appreciative whistle as he craned his neck and looked at the ruins of the temple of Marduk. Despite Haller's description of this temple being the 'smaller' one, it was still two stories tall with a broad base. The building was made of sandstone and overlaid with a limestone mix, similar to the Pyramids in Egypt. Like the Pyramids, the limestone cap had mostly worn away, leaving the surface rough and pitted.

Sand drifts had attempted to reclaim the building. So far, they had not had much luck. They leaned against one wall, climbing almost half way up, and curling around the sides of the stone structure.

Haller scuttled up to the wide arching doorway and peered at it, lifting up his sunglasses for a better look.

"Can you open it?" Jack asked. The archaeologist paid him no attention. Jack poked him in the arm. "Hey, Haller."

The archaeologist's mouth snapped shut. "What? Oh, yes. Probably." He dumped his pack on the ground and opened it. "Colonel." He handed Jack a digital camera. "I need you to take some pictures. Try to cover the full…" Haller waved his hand and then stopped, distracted by the writing.

Jack rolled his eyes and gave him a light slap on the upper arm. "Haller!"

The archaeologist jumped. "All of the front of the edifice. I'll work on the translation."

- - - - -

"Wow." Sam put her hand on her hat and looked up at the high temple. Modelled after the tower to Marduk in Babylon, the Nabu ziggurat on Borsippa stood five stories tall. Each stage was painted a different colour. Most of the colour had worn away, but the faint hint of the hues remained.

They had been walking around the city for almost an hour. It was a fairly short walk to the city walls, and the temple was the highest point in the ruined town so they headed directly to it. The processional road was in poor shape though, meaning that they had to pick their way though carefully. The large stones along the path were smooth and well worn, but pillars and statuary had toppled, creating hazards and barriers. In some places, the debris had allowed sand dunes to take root, forcing the trio to take detours off the main road and further into the temple grounds.

"Looks like we'll have to go up the stairs." Fulton started to unbuckle his backpack. Best thing is to use the climbing gear. The steps could be very unstable." In the briefing, both Haller and Fulton had made a point to suggest packing extra climbing gear. Their experiences with the ruins of the Tau'ri Etemananki had prepared them for this mission.

"I don't suppose that there are any internal steps, huh?"

Fulton gave a rare smile. "I doubt they'd be any better. Teal'c, do you have rope?"

"I do, Sergeant Fulton."

"Great. Let's get geared up and start up the stairs."

- - - - -

"Haller?" Jack called. He was sitting on the sand, leaning against his pack. The archaeologist waved him off irritatedly. Jack raised his eyes to the skies and tried again. "So help me, Haller."

"There we go." The scientist said smugly, and touched two carved panels on the front wall.

Jack scrambled to his feet as the sound of rumbling stone filled the air. Haller turned to Jack and lifting his baseball cap off his head, he bowed deeply to the Colonel.

"Finally." Jack snapped ungratefully. He shouldered his pack and tossed Haller's pack to the other man. Jack readied his weapon. "I'll go first. Stop me before I blow something up unnecessarily."

"Will do, Colonel."

Jack reached for the radio at his shoulder. "Carter, status?"

"Climbing, sir."

"Climbing?"

"Yes, sir. Sergeant Fulton is leading us up the stairs to the temple."

"Alright. We're in Marmaduke's temple. We'll check in when we hear anything. Step carefully."

"Will do. You too, sir."

- - - - -

Fulton led the group carefully. Every so often, he would stop to hammer a spike into the cracks between the bricks and secure their lines.

"This is amazing." Carter breathed, arching back and putting her hands on her hips as she took a look around into the town surrounding the temple. They were about halfway up the temple. Another flight of stairs would bring them to an observation level. They would have to walk halfway around the temple to find the next stairway which would bring them up to the temple at the top.

"Just think what the original temple in Babylon would have looked like." Fulton shook his head as he uncoiled the ropes.

"I have seen many Goa'uld structures," said Teal'c. "I have never seen one quite like this."

"How do you mean?" The Sergeant looked back at the Jaffa.

"The workmanship is of a different style." Teal'c ran his hand down the wall of the structure.

"Of course. You served with the Egyptian Goa'uld, didn't you?"

"I did."

"I'd love to know why the Babylonian Goa'uld never gained the power that the Egyptian pantheon did. Doctor Jackson and Doctor Haller were theorizing that the Babylonian Goa'uld were caught unaware by the Egyptian rebellion which buried the Stargate."

Teal'c tilted his head. "Indeed. That may be the case. Of all the names mentioned, only the name Marduk was known to me. The Babylonian Goa'uld were considered a minor threat."

"Well… perhaps because they were Earth-based." Both men turned to look at Sam. The Captain shrugged. "Well, think about it. Daniel said that the Oannes and the Goa'uld were never more than partners and that they were probably trying to get away from Nem and Omoroca's rule. They accomplished that by killing…" Sam's voice faltered briefly. "By killing Myomis and Omoroca and banishing Nem. After that, they would essentially control their portion of the world."

"And they would rewrite history to suit their needs." Fulton nodded thoughtfully as they began their ascent up the last staircase. "History records the surviving Babylonian gods as beloved paragons of all that was good in humanity."

"History is recorded by the victor." Teal'c added solemnly.

"Yeah." Sam sighed.

- - - - -

"Myomis. They'll be back. They have to believe us."

"I know, Daniel."

"Jack thinks I'm insane. He has to believe me."

"Jack will believe you, Daniel."

"How do you feel? My head feels full of cotton."

"I feel well."

"Hard to think."

"Daniel, you must try to think. What is the word?"

"Concentrate." Daniel frowned and scrunched his eyes shut. "I can't concentrate."

"You must, Daniel." Myomis's eyes were open and alert. He flexed his restrained wrists experimentally. "Daniel?" He shook his head. "No, Daniel. Do not lose hope. Daniel?" He shook his head. "Daniel!"

- - - - -

"Haller!" Jack's voice grated across the archaeologist's nerves causing him to hiss in irritation.

"Colonel." He returned the glare, arms crossed on his chest.

"Sand. Scribbles. Stones. Can we _do_ something now?" Jack was leaning against the wall in the interior of the temple, watching Haller methodically clean the surface of the wall opposite.

"I _am_ doing something, Colonel."

"And this 'something' can't be done any faster?"

Haller twitched. His mouth opened, a finger pointed at Jack and then skyward. His mouth opened again and then he shook his head. Biting back his words, he turned to the wall.

Jack looked at his back, eyebrows up. "What?"

- - - - -

"Wow." Sam drew the word out to at least four syllables as she craned her neck and turned in a slow circle.

They had finally reached the top of the ziggurat and entered the open public chamber. The first room was wide with tall ceilings. Constructed of sandstone, the rough surface still retained hints of colour. The tall pillars were smooth-sanded with the barest traces of blue and gold at the tops. The architecture was very linear and angular. Sam traced her finger over a high table that held only the dusty remains of offerings in corroded copper bowls.

"Interesting." Fulton shone his flashlight into the distance, tracing along the elegant scripts. "This temple is dedicated to both Nabu and Sarpanitu, but no sign of Marduk."

"What is the significance of this, Sergeant Fulton?"

"I don't know." Fulton looked over at them and flashed a quick grin. "It's a mystery."

"I do not like mysteries."

"Well, I agree with Teal'c on this one. Any risk of traps?" The beam of Sam's flashlight skipped suspiciously across the pitted stone floor.

Fulton's light dropped obligingly. "Probably not. This was an open worship area. They wouldn't have wanted to keep people out." The light wandered over the floor to a heavy stone door in the distance. "Ah. Now that." The light centred on some disturbing looking figured carved into the soft stone. "That looks threatening."

"And probably where we need to go." Sam sighed.

- - - - -

"Haller! We need to go somewhere." Jack growled and slumped back against his pack, eying the very stiff back of his temporary archaeologist.

"Where do you propose we go, Colonel?" Haller's tone held the merest hint that he knew exactly where he'd like to tell Jack to go.

"Somewhere. Anywhere. _Now_."

"Colonel." The civilian growled, throwing military decorum out the window. "We have 48 hours. That's not 48 minutes, or 4.8 hours or four-point-eight damn seconds." Haller growled. "We'll go when we are done. Not before."

Jack shifted, adjusting his position. "Touchy." He muttered.

- - - - -

"Well, that's ugly." Sam put one hand on her hip as she used her flashlight to illuminate the carving on the door at the back of the temple.

"Uh." Fulton squinted as he tried to make out the details.

"I suppose that you find this beautiful and fascinating." She grinned at the archaeologist.

"Oh no. Ugly as sin." Fulton chuckled. "Keep a watch." He warned the two other soldiers as he reached into his pack and pulled out a thick brush. Glancing over his shoulders, he made sure that Sam had her gun up and Teal'c had his staff weapon readied before he ran the brush carefully over the surface of the door. Each stroke sent fine, yellow sand cascading to the floor and revealed more of the details.

"That's Nem." Carter's head came up and her gun dipped. More of the details of the carving were visible.

"No. This is Marduk." Fulton gestured with his brush to the lettering over the figure's head. "It's a representation of him in his incarnation of King of the Gods. Post Tiamat." Fulton ran his brush down the side of the carving. "Yep. There's Tiamat." He pointed to a serpent-like dragon.

"That's odd. Daniel's descriptions of him said that Marduk, or Belus, looked very similar to Myomis. They took after Omoroca, not Nem. Does it mention anything of Myomis or Omoroca?"

"Uhhh…" Fulton made a few tentative swipes at the carving. "I have no idea. I can recognise the cuneiform names, but the script is beyond me." He frowned. "This is odd."

"What?"

He looked back at the pair and then over to the carving. "Well, here. Look at his hand. The carving there is recessed where the bracelet should be."

Sam squinted and moved forward. The figure of Marduk was standing with one hand upraised. A piece of jewellery similar to a hand device was on his palm, but below that, the carving was sunken in to the wall.

"It looks like there should be a carving there."

"Or perhaps the jewellery acts like a key." Teal'c added, getting everyone's attention.

- - - - -

"Oh for crying out loud." Jack hurled away the rock he had been playing with and dragged himself to his feet. "Haller?"

The archaeologist was sitting, slumped in front of the doorway.

"Can we go now?" Jack asked plaintively.

"No, I'm sorry, Colonel. I still can't get the door open."

"It's been hours."

Haller looked pained. "Yes, Colonel, and these kinds of investigations can take years." Jack let out a big sigh. Haller cocked his head. "Colonel, I know you're worried about Doctor Jackson. He is my friend as well. I'm telling you, I need my books."

Jack looked around and then waved a hand at the door. "Well, what do you have now?" He took a close look at the doorway and then frowned. "That's a Stargate."

"Yes."

"And the symbols?"

"Are buttons. Presumably, you press the right ones and the door opens."

"Well, push them."

"Push them." Haller's eyebrows went up. "Push them. At random. Let's see, thirty-nine symbols. That makes a total of 39 x 38 x 37 x 36 x 35 x 34 x 33 possible combinations."

"So, no?"

"Ahhhh, no. Let's just check that." Haller pulled a calculator out of his pocket.

"Haller, I get it."

"No, no… Colonel. You want some random addresses?"

"Okay, dumb idea. I… Get… It."

"Wow. That gives us 77,519,922,480 possible combinations."

"Haller. So help me."

"Forty-eight hours. Seventy-seven billion combinations. Oh yeah."

"Haller!"

"We'd be home for lunch."

"That's a constellation." Jack was no longer looking at the archaeologist. His eyes were focused behind Haller.

"How many an hour would that- What?" Haller stopped and cocked his head.

"Constellation." Jack pointed at the door. "I know that one."

- - - - -

"Colonel?" Sam walked back to the entrance of the temple and stared out at the endless sea of shifting sands below her. In the distance, she could make out the ruins of a village. Some small ruins nearby were likely the Colonel and Haller.

"Sir? Can you hear me?"

"Carter?"

"Yes, sir. Just wanted to check in. We've found a doorway. Sergeant Fulton says it looks like part of the doorway is recessed. Teal'c says that we probably need a piece of jewellery to act as a key."

"Let me guess… you're not carrying the item you need?"

"Uh… no sir."

"Well, take pictures. Maybe Daniel, or Myomis… or one of 'em can figure it out."

"Will do, sir. How are things on your side?"

"Haller found a Stargate, without the Stargate."

Sam looked over at Teal'c and frowned. "Sir?"

"We're playing 'Guess the gate address' here."

"Sir. Do you know how many possible combinations-"

"Oh, I'd guess about 77 billion, give or take."

"Actually-" Sam was about to correct him, but then pulled up suddenly. "Uh. Yes, sir." She couldn't quite stop the disbelieving tone that crept into her voice. "Sir, how did-?" She trailed off.

"What? I was right?" Jack's tone was deceptively innocent, hiding something. Probably something to do with the wet cat noises Haller was making in the background. "I know, I know. Pretty long shot, but Haller wants to-" Jack was drowned out by Haller's indignant snarls.

Sam looked quickly to Teal'c and over to Fulton, who was trying not to smile.

"Sir?"

"We'll catch up with you. Gotta go teach Haller how to do his job." The radio cut off abruptly, leaving Sam, Teal'c and Fulton looking at each other. Eventually, Sam shrugged and they went back to work.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

"Welcome home, SG1." Hammond nodded from the base of the ramp. Jack took a couple of quick steps down to the General. "Any luck?"

"Good news, sir." Jack stepped up. "We found some leads. We looked at the two temples there and brought back some pictures. Maybe we can use them to figure out how to open the doors." Jack looked at his teams and then back at his CO. "Looks like Daniel was right, sir."

"How is Daniel, sir?" Sam stepped up behind Jack's shoulder, segueing nicely into her concerns for their missing team-mate.

"We'll meet in the briefing room in one hour, people. I'll explain then."

"Sir?" Carter asked, her voice trembling slightly. Jack grimaced and nodded before leading his team to the showers.

- - - - -

Forty-five minutes later, SG1-minus-one along with the two archaeologists were seated at the briefing room table. Finally having pity on them Hammond joined them early, waving the officers down when they rose to greet him.

"At ease, people."

"Sir? Daniel?" Jack stepped up first. Around the table, the other people inched their chairs closer, so as not to miss a word.

Hammond sighed. "Jack, Doctor Jackson is not doing well. Doctor Fraiser managed to get his blood pressure stabilized. Doctor Mackenzie took over his care at that point and began to administer haloperidol again. Doctor Jackson did not respond well to the medicine."

"Well what does that mean, sir?" Sam ventured when Hammond paused.

"It means that Doctor Jackson is catatonic. Over the last twenty-four hours, he has grown increasingly withdrawn. Now, he does not respond at all. He is no longer restrained because, at this point, there is no need." The General sighed again. "I don't know what to say, people. Mackenzie seems to feel that we simply need time to allow the medications to work."

"May we see Daniel Jackson, General Hammond?"

"Give it time, people. Let's hear your report first, and then I'll call down and have Doctor Mackenzie allow you to see Doctor Jackson. Doctor Haller, what do you have?"

Haller got to his feet and touched a button on his laptop. An image of the doorway to the smaller temple lit up on the opposite wall. "Well, Colonel O'Neill and I found this doorway. Around the edges are all of the symbols on the Borsippa DHD. In the center is a constellation."

"A constellation? Which one?" Carter leaned forward, her elbows on the table.

Haller touched the button again, and the slide show advanced to the next frame. "We don't know yet. Of course, this constellation was found on Borsippa. It may reflect that planet's skies."

"No, it's ours." Jack mused, brows drawn together. He tapped a finger on the tabletop. "I know it." He made a dismissive gesture. "Okay, I don't _know_ it, but I know I know it." He grimaced and looked away. "I'll find it."

"Well, even if it is from Earth, this was created probably in Babylonian times. The shapes of the constellations have changed in the thousands of years between then and now." Sam shrugged. "I could attempt to create a program to extrapolate how the stars would move. It'd be difficult, but maybe it could come up with ten likely options. They might look a little more familiar."

"We'll hold that plan in reserve, Major." Hammond nodded. "What do you think it all means?"

Haller shook his head. "I assume that somehow it gives the identity of a location important to the Goa'uld in question. Find the location, and we find the Stargate address. This should open the door for us."

"We could use C4."

Haller made a little squeaking noise at Jack's pronouncement.

"We would risk the structure of the temple and anything concealed within." Teal'c raised an eyebrow as he turned to face Jack.

Hammond chose to pretend that Jack had not said a word. "Find me that constellation, Doctor Haller."

"Yes, sir." Haller nodded and took his seat.

"Major Carter? What of your side of the expedition?"

"Yes sir. Well, we came to a similar dead end. We found the temple dedicated to Nabu and Sarpanitu. The temple is falling to ruins for the most part. At the back, we found..." She looked over at Fulton, who shrugged. "We think it's a door, sir. It has a carving of Marduk on it. He looks a lot like Nem."

"This supports the information given to us by Daniel Jackson." Teal'c sat back in his seat, satisfied.

Hammond nodded. "Good work. Were you able to open the door?"

Sam shook her head. Fulton took over. "Sir, there is a recessed portion of the carving. It looks like it once held jewellery. This may possibly act as a key. We were unable to find anything that resembled a key in the time allotted us."

"Alright. We need some information. Doctor Haller, Sergeant Fulton, I need you to make examining these photos your top priority. We need answers, people." He turned back to Jack, Sam and Teal'c. "Right now, SG1, Doctor Jackson needs you."

With a brusque nod, Hammond dismissed his people. Sam and Teal'c headed immediately for Daniel while Jack held back.

"Sir?" Sam looked back.

Jack held up a finger. "I'll be there in a minute." Sam and Teal'c exchanged a look at the Colonel jogged away.

- - - - -

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c's words were soft. Mackenzie had voiced his objections when they entered the room, but was quickly over-ridden by a phone call from Hammond. Together, Sam and Teal'c made their way to their friend's bedside.

The archaeologist was lying on his back, eyes half open and unfocussed. His body was limp and still, fingers lightly clutching the bed sheets. An IV line was taped to the back of one of his hands. His skin was cool and clean. Sam was grateful that someone was at least taking the time to care for him.

"Daniel?" She whispered the name softly, brushing his hair away from his eyes. "Hey. We found Borsippa. We found the temples. You have to wake up Daniel. We need your help here. You and Myomis."

She gasped and looked down as his hand twitched in hers.

"Teal'c, he moved."

The Jaffa leaned down, his face next to Daniel's. He whispered tersely. "Daniel Jackson, you must awaken. We have returned."

Daniel's head moved slightly sideways and his eyelids twitched.

"Nrgh." The sound struggled to escape from his throat. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and then hissed a short breath out between his teeth. Sam looked over at Teal'c.

"Myomis?" She tried. In the observation booth, Mackenzie sat up a little straighter. With this sort of reinforcement, no wonder Doctor Jackson's delusions were so persistent.

"Samantha?" Myomis's speech was slurred, his eyes still unfocused.

"Yes." Sam smiled widely. "Myomis, we're here. Where's Daniel? We need Daniel."

"Daniel." Myomis breathed. "You do not believe him."

"Myomis, what do you mean?"

"Daniel. Jack does not believe. He gave up."

"Myomis." Teal'c was leaning only inches from the groggy Oannes. "O'Neill would not give up on Daniel Jackson."

"I cannot… hear Daniel." Myomis forced his eyes open. "We could share. We could speak. Daniel told me of Sha're. Of Abydos. Then the… medicine came. Daniel said… hard to think. He could not… concentrate." Myomis laboriously tried to make his point known. He was waking up though, his eyes starting to focus.

"What happened to you, Myomis?"

"I lost Daniel." Myomis lifted his head. "I tried to hide. Tried to sleep so he could come back. Did not want to keep him out."

Sam put a hand on his chest as Myomis tried to sit up. "Hey, Myomis. Take it easy. I don't think they want you running around just yet."

Myomis nodded his understanding, but pushed upright anyway, allowing Sam to steady him with a grip on one shoulder.

"Jack?" Myomis looked around, squinting.

"O'Neil is coming." Teal'c spoke, standing stiffly by the bed.

The words acted as an invitation as Jack opened the door, half-turned and still staring down the SFs on guard duty. He kept his eyes on them until the door closed. Having proven whatever point he wanted to make, he turned to the other three members of his team.

"Hey." His eyebrows went up as he gave the archaeologist a look. He had a book clutched to his chest.

Myomis smiled. "Jack. You do not believe Daniel." His words were soft, but not accusatory.

"Uh… what?"

"Colonel, Myomis says that he… 'lost' Daniel. He thinks that Daniel thinks that _you_ think he's insane and so he…" Sam trailed off and looked at Myomis.

"Daniel is gone."

Jack put up his hands. "Okay. Once more for the hard of hearing." He shook his head. "What?"

"Is it not possible that the medicine given to Daniel Jackson has caused this change?"

"How do you figure, Teal'c?" Sam looked over at the Jaffa, leaving Myomis propped up and looking at Jack. As Carter and Teal'c talked, Jack came forward and tilted his upper body back, looking at the Oannes.

"Myomis? Where's Daniel?"

"Daniel is gone, Jack." Myomis's voice sounded weary. "He… I do not know."

"But he thinks I don't believe him. So he, what? He ran away? Left you in charge?"

"He was tired, Jack."

"Okay..." Jack leaned in close to Myomis, forcing the Oannes to rock backward on the bed. "Myomis, you're nice and all, but the only reason, the _one_ reason I put up with you is so I can get Daniel back." He pointed his finger at Myomis's chest. "I am going through this, I am putting up with all this historical _crap_ so that I can get you out and him back. You get back in there." He made little swirly motions next to Myomis's temples with his hands. "And you tell Daniel to get his ass out here. You tell him to wake the hell up and you tell him that we're not going to be able to do this without him. You got me?"

There was a long pause. Myomis smiled slightly, a knowing and fond look on his face. Teal'c's eyebrow was climbing for the sky and Sam had stopped in mid-gesture, one hand in the air.

"Sir?" She began, at a loss for anything more profound.

"Jack." Myomis reached out and gripped the Colonel's wrist tightly. "I cannot find Daniel. If he comes to me, I will tell him."

"Actually, sir, we may have an answer for that."

One wrist still in Myomis's light grip, Jack straightened up and looked at his second in command. "What?"

"Well, sir, Teal'c thought of it."

Jack turned and looked up at the Jaffa. "Teal'c?" He said in a reasonable tone that suggested that someone had better start talking soon.

Teal'c clasped his hands behind his back and turned his body slightly to face the Colonel. "When Daniel Jackson was first administered the medication, the Myomis personality disappeared. When the medication stopped, Myomis reappeared."

"Yeah. And?"

"Perhaps this time around, Myomis proved to be the stronger. Perhaps this time, his personality dominated Daniel Jackson's?"

"Meaning that as long as Daniel's being medicated, it's all Myomis, all the time."

"If Teal'c's theory is correct, yes."

Jack nodded and turned to leave, brought up short by Myomis's strong hold around his wrist. He looked down at his hand, and then back at the Oannes who gave an unrepentant shrug and a small grin.

Jack sighed theatrically, and then looked at the mirror separating the patient from the observation room. "Mackenzie! I want you to stop the drugs." There was a long silence. Jack looked around at the others. Finally, a small metallic click was heard.

"I don't believe that would be advisable, Colonel O'Neill. As we discussed earlier, pandering to the delusional personality simply makes this task more difficult."

"Oh, for crying out loud. He's the real thing. We found evidence."

"Colonel, this is hardly the venue to discuss this situation." With a click, Mackenzie was gone.

There was another long pause before Jack turned to the others. "I think that went well." Whatever Carter was about to say was cut off by Mackenzie's voice.

"Colonel, General Hammond has requested your team join him in the Gateroom."

Jack nodded to the mirror and then looked back down at his arm. "I gotta go, but we'll be back. We'll find some proof." He pointed to the mirror with his free hand. "Don't listen to him. You just look for Daniel. Tell him I want his obnoxious butt back here, pronto."

Nodding, Myomis released his grip, allowing Jack to pull his hand free. Jack gave a jerk of his head, telling Teal'c and Sam to follow him.

"We'll be back, Myomis." Sam promised as the door shut on their colleague sitting forlornly on the edge of the bed.

- - - - -

"General?" Jack asked as he trotted into the control room. The Stargate was active in the Gateroom. "What's up?"

"Colonel, someone wants to talk to you." The General stepped back from the microphone. Jack looked at Carter, who craned her neck and read the computer display.

"It's Oannes, sir." She caught herself and clarified. "Uh… the planet."

Jack took two large steps and flicked the microphone on.

"This is Colonel Jack O'Neill."

There was a long silence before the sound of raspy breathing filled the control room. "This is Nem. I… received your… message." The Oannes spoke slowly. Jack punched the air like his favourite team just scored.

"Yeah, Nem. We have information about Omoroca."

"My mate. I will come to you."

"No!" Jack yelled as Hammond gestured frantically for the iris to be opened. "We have a… a door on our Gate. You can't come through." He flicked the microphone off and held his breath until the iris was completely opened. "General?"

"Can this creature be trusted?"

"Daniel Jackson believed so, General Hammond."

"I know that, Teal'c. I don't think it would be presumptuous of me to say 'look where it got him'."

"General, if anyone knows what went wrong with Daniel, it would be Nem. He's probably our best shot."

Hammond nodded at Carter and then looked at the Gate for a moment. The only sign of his nervousness was the little motions he made rubbing his fingers against his thumbs. Finally he nodded. "Bring him through, Colonel, but I want a security detail to accompany him at all times."

Jack turned back to the microphone. "Okay, Nem, the door's open. Come on through."

Jack, Sam and Teal'c waited for the General's nod before they left the control room and went down the stairs to the Gateroom. They waited another minute before the event horizon rippled and Nem stepped through.

The blue alien stood at the top of the ramp, a gold-edged length of cloth over his shoulder with a long, deep-blue tunic underneath. He studied the human Gateroom, casually dismissing the armed SFs.

Jack took a step toward the Oannes. "Nem. This is General Hammond, our leader. General, this is Nem."

Hammond and the Oannes nodded curtly to each other. "What of my mate?" Nem asked, immediately turning back to Jack.

When Jack looked sideways, Sam stepped forward. "Nem. You used a machine on Daniel. He started having dreams."

"He dreams… of Babylon." Nem nodded knowingly.

"Son of a bitch, you knew that would happen?" Jack took a step forward, brought up short by Hammond's raised hand.

"Colonel." Hammond turned back to Nem. "Does the machine always cause dreams?"

"Daniel is… oldest. He will dream of… Babylon."

"There's more to it than that." Sam stepped in again. She turned to the General. "Sir, perhaps we could show him?"

Hammond gestured for two armed guards to follow him. "Take us to Doctor Jackson, Colonel." There was no diplomatic way to explain the guards following them, so Hammond let it slide. From Doctor Jackson's description, the alien possessed technology similar to a Goa'uld hand device. If he wanted to damage them, they would need to fight back. If his intentions were peaceful, well, then let the Oannes think this was merely an honour guard. For his part, Nem looked at the guards but made no comment, possibly understanding.

Jack gave Nem a long, dark look and then grated out, "Yes, sir." He stepped in front of the party and took the lead.

- - - - -

"What is this?" Nem tilted his head and examined the doorway.

"Nem, look, we need you to take a look at Daniel." Jack gestured along with his words, pointing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the isolation room.

"For what reason?" The Oannes came directly to the point.

"We think that there is a possibility that your machine made Doctor Jackson very ill." Hammond replied for Jack. "We are attempting to determine the appropriate course of action. Perhaps you can provide some guidance.

"I told Daniel… it could… damage him." Nem nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, it did." Jack snapped, stopping as Hammond raised his hand slightly. Nem stared at Jack, his expression impossible to read.

"I will look."

The General nodded at Sam, indicating that she should open the door.

Sam, Jack and Teal'c stood aside as Nem entered the room. The figure on the bed was preoccupied by something, staring at the floor and muttering. Jack cleared his throat softly.

Myomis's eyes leapt up to meet Jack's, and then slid immediately to the side to fix on the Oannes.

"_Abi_." He breathed.

General Hammond's gaze was on Nem, so he alone saw the Oannes' eyes widen. Nem stiffened and then drew a step closer.

"_Buhur_?"

As if the word broke invisible bindings, Myomis cried out and threw himself to his knees in front of Nem. The Oannes touched his clawed hands softly to Myomis's shoulder, urging to rise. The pair conversed in rapid Akkadian. Finally, Nem placed his hands gently on either side of Myomis's head and drew his gaze upward. They looked at each other for a long moment before Myomis smiled broadly.

Nem turned back to the others. "This is… my _buhur_." He nodded. "My… first born."

"_Abi_." Myomis grinned. "My father."

General Hammond was the first to react. "You mean it's true?" Teal'c, Sam and Jack turned as one to look at him. He shook his head. "Well, I'll be damned. Nem, how could this have happened?"

"The machine pulls… memories forward. The… memories are of the old life."

"How did you know that Daniel was related to Myomis?" Sam asked, eyes wide and curious.

"I am… Oannes. We can see." Nem turned away, forcing Sam to be satisfied with that cryptic answer.

"General, can we get Daniel out of here now?" Jack was practically bouncing.

Hammond paused, considering. He looked over at the mirror. "Doctor Mackenzie, I want you and Doctor Fraiser in my office in ten minutes." He looked back at Jack who cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "Colonel, for now he stays here. You'll have an answer soon."

- - - - -

Hammond sat down at his desk and straightened his folders. He looked up, first at Mackenzie and then at Fraiser.

"Alright, people, what do we do now?"

"Sir." Janet started. "Is it true?"

The General nodded. "Nem has identified Doctor Jackson as his son, Myomis."

"So, Doctor Jackson was right."

Mackenzie shook his head. "Sir, the Oannes has just found out that his wife is dead. It is quite possible that he is projecting his desire to find his son safe onto Doctor Jackson."

"How much more evidence do you need?" Janet turned to the psychiatrist.

"Doctor Fraiser, how much evidence do we have? Doctor Jackson is ill. We can both agree on that. Nem has just lost his wife. We can agree on that. Nem may have seen something in Doctor Jackson. We have no idea of the capabilities of the Oannes in that regard. However, Doctor Jackson was subjected to alien technology. This may all be some sort of trick by the Oannes. Certainly, it might be argued that this entire scenario has been set up by Nem himself."

"For what purpose?" Hammond asked as Fraiser shook her head.

"He may want access to Doctor Jackson's memories, perhaps information about the Stargate program."

"Information he could have had when Daniel was with him earlier." Fraiser countered.

"Unless the effect he wished to achieve was delayed by a quirk of human physiology."

"Why would he have let Doctor Jackson go in that case?"

Mackenzie countered. "Perhaps he thought his actions were unsuccessful and our attempts to contact him have informed him otherwise."

"Sir, this is wild speculation." Janet appealed to the General.

Hammond laced his fingers together. "What I want, right now, is the best for Doctor Jackson. Doctor Fraiser, you are inclined to believe Nem and support the idea that this Myomis is real."

"I do, sir." Janet nodded.

"Doctor Mackenzie, you still maintain that Doctor Jackson requires full time supervision?"

"I do, sir." Mackenzie leaned back in his chair.

"Alright then. Doctor Jackson will be transferred to your care, Doctor Fraiser." Mackenzie sat up straight as Janet gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded. "I expect that someone will be with him at all times."

Janet gave a real smile as she stood up. "I'm sure that SG1 will help see to that."

Hammond allowed himself a small grin in return. "I have no doubt."

- - - - -

"Nem, I'd like to thank you for joining us here. You've seen the pictures of the carving from Borsippa?" Hammond stood until the blue Oannes sunk into the chair opposite. Nodding, he sat down and clasped his hands together.

"I have."

"Have Captain Carter and Colonel O'Neill told you what they found on Borsippa?"

"They have. I may have the… missing piece… in my possession."

"That would be excellent."

"Myomis will be… safe?" Nem sat stiffly in his seat, leaning forward.

"I can guarantee that we will be giving Doctor Jackson all of our attention." Hammond paused, gathering his thoughts. "Nem, I must ask, can you use your technology to repress the memories of Myomis?"

The Oannes looked steadily at the SGC's commanding officer before nodding curtly. "I… can."

Hammond's eyebrows went up. "Then-"

Nem interrupted. "But I… will… not."

"Nem." Hammond tried again.

The Oannes' neck scale flared in irritation. "I understand… what you have told me. My son… lives in Daniel. My mate lives… lost on this world. Daniel will help me… I will… help… Daniel."

Hammond returned Nem's stare with one of his own. Eventually, he had to concede to the alien. They had nothing with which to bargain and no way to force the issue.

"I must… return. Your world is too… dry for me. I will search for… the bracelet and… contact you… soon." Nem rose to his feet slowly, Hammond joining him.

"Thank you for your help. For what it's worth, I sincerely hope that we can help you find your wife."

Nem nodded again and made his way to the Gateroom and the Stargate.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

Jack spent an impatient and irritable four days while Myomis slept and SG1 brooded. The moment Myomis's care was returned to Fraiser, she had him out of the isolation room and into a VIP suite where he could be monitored in somewhat more private quarters.

Carter busied herself with writing some programs to try to extrapolate how the constellation on the door in Borsippa may have been altered since Babylonian times. Teal'c haunted the archaeology labs with Fulton and Haller working on translating the images on the doors and researching Daniel's notes on Babylonian Goa'uld. Jack stayed with Myomis, even badgering the nursing staff into bringing in an ugly, lumpy old cot. He grumbled each morning but refused to leave for anything other than basic needs. He had brought a book with him after returning from Borsippa. It was an astronomy book. Jack perused it, hoping something would remind him of the Borsippa door constellation.

Myomis, for his part, concentrated on being very, very ill. The medicines in his system reacted very badly with each other this time, making him nauseous and dizzy. He was suffering from bad tremors and barely able to focus his eyes. He took the easiest option open to him and curled up on his bed, under the covers, and slept.

After 96 hours of this, Hammond proposed a return trip to Borsippa, once the constellation could be identified. SG1 was to plan out their return and present Hammond with a plan of action. Jack was determined that Daniel and Myomis were to be part of that plan.

"So… can he come with us?"

Jack's question was blunt, aimed directly at Janet Fraiser. The doctor gave him a tight smile and looked over at Myomis.

"Colonel-"

"Doc?"

"Colonel." Janet began again. "Doctor Jackson- Myomis still has a very high concentration of haloperidol in his system. He has medicines to control his blood pressure, pain killers, sedatives, medicines to aid his digestion, and medicines to control the side-effects of the haloperidol, not to mention his regular antihistamines. There is no way I can consider him fit for duty."

"So, tomorrow?" Jack was fluctuating between being deliberately dense and meanly inquisitive, driving home Daniel's health-care inflicted weaknesses.

"Colonel, it's going to be at least a week before I allow Doctor Jackson off the base, never mind off the planet." Janet's words were crisp, reminding Jack that her treatment options had been denied.

"That's still…" Jack paused in mid-sentence, considering. He swung back to face Fraiser. "Pain-killers?"

The doctor grimaced. "Myomis is being weaned off the haloperidol. If you remember from last time, the drugs took a while to leach out of his system. We're looking at higher doses here."

"And?" Jack snapped.

"And…" Janet drew out the word, trying to delay the inevitable. As the Colonel's frown grew deeper, she spoke up. "And, the headaches are back."

Jack paused, scratching the top of his head as he considered. Fraiser watched him warily, like one would watch a wild animal in a small cage.

"Well… that could be good, right?" Jack finally spoke up. Fraiser stopped holding her breath and nodded.

"Previously, the headaches were tied in with the personality switch. Introduction of haloperidol into the system generally prompts a regression of the minor personality and the major one becomes the primary resident. Discontinuing the haloperidol may allow for a more normalized relationship between the conflicting psyches."

Jack gave her a long look. "And that could be good, right?"

Janet let a small grin escape. "If it brings Doctor Jackson back to us, it could be very good, Colonel." She picked up Daniel's medical chart and made some notes. "We'll have to monitor his blood pressure very carefully. I'm hopeful that we may see a decrease in the headaches and the blood pressure as the drugs leave his system."

"Decrease? What makes you think that? Seems like it just got worse."

"Well, to be honest, Colonel, I don't think the medicines we were using had much of an effect. Doctor Jackson's blood pressure dropped as his personalities began to integrate. At the time, we put it down to the medication, but perhaps as Doctor Jackson and Myomis achieved some sort of symmetry, their blood pressure will normalize naturally."

Jack looked over at the lean figure curled up in a ball on the bed. "Sooner, the better."

- - - - -

"Unscheduled offworld activation."

Hammond walked down the stairs and into the control room as the iris slid shut. "Do we have a GDO signal?"

The technician shook his head. "Nothing yet, sir." He paused, staring at the monitors. "Wait. We have a radio transmission incoming."

"Let's hear it." Hammond's head lifted as the crackling sound filled the control room.

"This is… Nem."

The General leaned over and depressed the microphone switch. "This is General George Hammond."

"I have brought… the key."

Hammond nodded to the technician. "Open the iris."

They watched as the iris retracted and then Hammond clicked on the microphone again. "Nem, the door is open. You are welcome to join us."

"I will come now."

There was a pause, long enough for Hammond to exit the control room and join the soldiers in the Gateroom. He had reached the end of the ramp as Nem appeared through the event horizon. His shoulders straightened up as Nem walked slowly down the gate ramp. The Oannes was wearing another long, regal looking robe and he held a box in his hand.

He presented the box to Hammond.

"Many years ago… I sent agents back to… your world. They searched for… my mate. They found only… relics. This matches... the carving."

Hammond took the box, hesitating only slightly before opening it. Inside was a heavy gold bracelet. He studied it for a short moment before looking back up at Nem.

"I would like to see… my son." Nem rasped, his neck scales flaring.

Hammond nodded. "Please, follow me."

- - - - -

"_Buhur_." Nem touched a clawed hand to Myomis's cheek. Slowly, Myomis's eyes opened, squinting and then refocusing on the tall alien standing over him.

"_Abi_." He returned sleepily, with a smile.

"_Buhur_… you must awaken."

Myomis ground the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to wake up a bit. He grimaced as he hauled himself into a seated position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Janet was there immediately as the Oannes yawned and scratched his jaw. She took his free arm and measured his pulse, following that up with the blood pressure meter.

Jack, who had been sitting in a chair the whole time, and who was still glaring at Nem whenever he thought the blue alien wasn't looking, stood up. "Doc?" He queried, correctly interpreting Fraiser's tight-lipped expression.

"Well… as we thought, Myomis's blood pressure is starting to go up. Myomis." She stepped in front of the Oannes in order to get his attention. Myomis blinked and smiled. "Myomis." Janet remained stern. "We have to be careful. You must relax. You must tell us if Daniel returns. Okay?"

"Okay, Janet. Relax."

"What is wrong?" Nem asked. He and Myomis had spoken two days earlier, but the younger Oannes had not understood enough medical terminology to explain his condition.

Janet tried to put the most positive spin on things. No need to let Nem know that they had attempted to medicate his first-born son out of existence. "Doctor Jackson and Myomis have had difficulties integrating their personalities."

Both of the Oannes stared at her, and then at each other. Jack grimaced. They might be picking up the language incredibly fast, but Janet Fraiser could talk rings around Daniel on his best day.

"Myomis and Daniel don't play well with others." He supplied with a shrug.

Both Oannes then turned and faced him. They gave him a blank stare and then looked at each other again. Myomis said a few words in Akkadian to Nem in a very dry tone of voice. The tall alien made a strange chuffing noise that onlookers could only assume meant he was laughing.

Myomis shook his head, flipping his long hair out of his eyes and then stretched his back. "Daniel wishes to return. The pain is Daniel. He fights for his proper place. I will not fight him. He is welcome."

"For now, you need to rest." Janet spoke up, guiding Myomis back down to the bed.

"Sir!" Sam jogged in to the room, stopping as all eyes turned to her. "Sirs." She amended, looking first at the General and then at O'Neill. "Nem." She bobbed her head and got a slow nod in return. Myomis craned his neck and peered at her but was prevented from rising by both Nem and Jack who each put a hand on his chest and held him down.

"Rest." Jack stated, looking down at the alien intelligence trapped in his friend's body. He looked back at his second in command. "What's up, Carter?"

"Sir, I have some results from the extrapolation program." Sam waved a sheaf of papers at the Colonel. Jack stepped forward and held out a hand.

"What is this?" Nem cocked his head.

"Uh… there's a constellation, a star pattern on the temple door on Borsippa. We think it may be an Earth constellation. At least… the Colonel is pretty convinced." Sam's eyes followed Jack as he flipped through the papers. He discarded them as he went, letting them flutter to the floor. Finally, he picked one and held it up.

While everyone's attention was focused on Jack, Myomis managed to sit upright without Janet noticing. He reached out and took the paper.

"Jack, what?"

Jack ignored him as he flipped through the astronomy book he had brought with him to Myomis's room after the team's return from Borsippa. "Ophiuchus." He announced, turning the book around and holding it up.

"Sir?" Sam's eyebrows went up.

"Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer." Jack flipped the book back over and started to read. "Ophiuchus vel Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder, is generally identified with Aesculapius a physician who was later made a god. Serpents were always associated with physicians as symbols of prudence, renovation, wisdom, and the power of discovering healing herbs. The modern symbol for medicine derives from this." He flipped a couple of pages. "Hey, it's the little known thirteenth sign of the zodiac. That has to mean something, doesn't it?" He laid the book down on the bed and looked around.

"Ophiuchus?" Sam looked at Hammond. "Sir, now that the Colonel has identified the constellation, we may be able to find a planet that somehow is identified with one of the stars in the constellation. This may narrow down the potential addresses from potentially billions-"

"Seventy-seven point five billion, to be exact." Jack broke in.

Sam paused for a moment. "Uh… Narrows it down to a few."

"Get on it, Captain." Hammond nodded.

"Sir." Sam bowed her head briefly and left the room after giving Myomis's arm a light squeeze.

For a moment, Jack, Janet, Hammond, Nem and Myomis sat and simply stared at each other, unsure of what to say next. It was finally coming together. For the first time, it seemed as though they could really find Omoroca. They could really get Daniel back. They all swung around as Teal'c entered the room bearing a simple cloth sack over one shoulder.

"Teal'c." Jack exclaimed gratefully, stepping forward. "What's up?"

The Jaffa clasped his hands behind his back and bowed slightly. "Doctor Fraiser suggested earlier that Myomis and Daniel Jackson may benefit from Kel-no-reem. I offered to teach Daniel Jackson and I felt that it would be advantageous to extend that invitation to Myomis at this time."

"Ah." Jack's eyebrows went up. "And that would be my cue to…" He waved a hand. "To… To help Carter." He held up his book to corroborate his story and slipped out of the room with a nod to his CO and to Myomis.

Hammond looked at those still present before speaking up. "Nem, perhaps we could leave Teal'c to his work here and we could discuss something of your people's history. Doctor Haller and Sergeant Fulton have been quite anxious to meet with you again. They are translating the writings they found on Borsippa."

Nem turned and looked at Myomis. The pair exchanged some short words. Eventually, Myomis smiled and closed his eyes. Nem touched his hand to Myomis's cheek and followed Hammond out of the room.

Teal'c and Myomis both turned to look at Doctor Fraiser. She eventually nodded and backed out of the room, promising to remain near by.

All alone, Teal'c turned to the Oannes trapped in the body of the SGC's lead archaeologist. "Myomis."

"Teal'c." Myomis replied evenly.

"We will continue our lessons in Kel-no-reem. Are you prepared?"

Myomis scooted backward on his bed until he could sit cross-legged in the middle. Teal'c opened the bag and started to pull out candles. He placed them throughout the room and Myomis closed his eyes and tilted back his head, taking in deep breaths.

Myomis's shoulders started to relax as he fell into the rhythm of the meditation. Teal'c lit the candles and sat on the floor at the foot of the bed. He watched the Oannes for a moment and then spoke softly.

"Unclench your fists and place the backs of your hands on your knees." Myomis opened one eye and looked at the Jaffa. Teal'c added, "Slowly. Do not lose the timing of your breathing."

Myomis nodded, and then shook his head as his bangs slid forward into his face. His breathing slightly disrupted, he took one deep breath and then brought himself back into time.

"Are you in pain?" Teal'c asked in a soft monotone, his posture relaxed but his eyes keenly focused on Myomis.

The Oannes took two deep breaths before sighing out a soft, "Yes.".

Teal'c nodded. "You must be very cautious during this time. Not only your safety is at issue here, but Daniel Jackson's as well."

"I understand." Myomis whispered.

"When the pain becomes too great, you must find a dark place. Take the stance of Kel-no-reem and clear your mind."

"Yes." Myomis rolled his neck slightly, loosening up his muscles.

"Concentrate only on peace, on the quiet. Let your mind sink through your body and allow it to relax."

"Okay." Myomis's shoulders slumped and his head tilted forward. Teal'c straightened up as Myomis's smooth forehead abruptly wrinkled up in a deep frown.

"Myomis?" Teal's got to his knees as the Oannes' breathing turned ragged.

"Teal'c." The man grated out. "The pain returns, much greater than before."

Teal'c stood as Myomis bent at the waist and curled up, his head almost touching the covers. The Jaffa moved immediately to the phone and called the infirmary. Fortunately, Janet had returned to her office immediately after she left Myomis and Teal'c to their meditation.

"Janet Fraiser."

"Doctor Fraiser, you must return immediately." Teal'c's voice rose slightly in inflection, betraying his concern.

"Teal'c? What's wrong?" He could hear Fraiser moving as she talked, not wasting time as she gathered her materials.

"Myomis is in pain and Kel-no-reem does not help."

"I'll be right there."

Knowing that she was as good as her word, Teal's dropped the phone back into the cradle and knelt by Myomis. "Myomis, you must deepen your breathing and attempt to relax." He tried to ease the young man into a seated position. Myomis slowly unwound, his eyes shut tightly.

"Breathe deeply." Teal'c entreated. Myomis arched upward and tilted his head back. Teal'c gripped his upper arm tightly, keeping him steady.

Myomis's head snapped sideways, his eyes wide and startled, locked on Teal'c. The Jaffa straightened up and spoke in a low voice.

"Daniel Jackson?"

"Teal'c?"

They both looked sideways as Janet flung open the door and entered at a dead run. She echoed the word spoken only a heartbeat before.

"Teal'c?"

Teal'c nodded. "Daniel Jackson has returned to us, Doctor Fraiser."

Janet's eyes locked on the archaeologist, who was huddling up, the very picture of misery. He licked his lips and swallowed heavily.

"Doctor Jackson." Janet's commanding tone drew his gaze upward. "What hurts?"

"Janet?" He licked his lips again and reached out a hand. "I-"

He never finished the sentence as his eyes rolled back in his head and his body started to convulse.

"No!" Janet cried, gesturing for Teal'c to lower Daniel to the bed. She returned to the door and barked out orders to the SFs standing guard. One of them spoke into his radio, relaying orders to get a medical team to the VIP suite. Teal'c, meanwhile, applied all of his strength to the task of keeping Daniel still as his body rebelled.

- - - - -


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

"Doc!" Jack grated, seated in an uncomfortable chair with a crumpled National Geographic lying across one knee.

SG1 had heard of the news from Teal'c who, in his typically understated way, gave few details. They ran to the infirmary to be none-too-gently barred from the examination room by Fraiser. Teal's sat stoically on a chair, Sam pretended to read and Jack yelled for the doctor every few minutes while mangling the defenceless magazine in his lap.

Finally, his bellowed request was answered. Fraiser stepped out into the hallway. All three members of the team stood up and hovered around the doctor's smaller form. She was far from intimidated though, flipping her chart closed and meeting the Colonel's gaze evenly.

"And?" Jack gave in first.

"He's resting."

"Resting?" Teal'c lifted an eyebrow.

"What did you give him?" Sam finished the question.

Fraiser shook her head. "What haven't we? It's a constant struggle to keep his system normalized. I can't tell whether he's coming or going half the time."

"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, Doc." Jack said dryly.

"It's not meant to, Colonel." Janet's tone was equally expressive.

"So…?" Sam tried to lead Janet onward.

"So." Janet refused to be led. "We watch him."

"Can we…?" Jack gestured to the door.

"One at a time."

"Then-"

Janet cut the colonel off with a shake of her head. "Nem has family privileges. You'll have to wait until he leaves." Jack opened his mouth, only to be cut off by Janet's raised hand. "General's orders, sir. You wait."

- - - - -

"And here we are again." Hammond said as he clasped his hands together and looked at Fraiser and Mackenzie seated in front of him like chastened schoolchildren.

"I don't know what to say, General." Fraiser shook her head. "There are too many factors at work here. It could be either the reintegration of Myomis's and Doctor Jackson's personalities or it could be a reaction to all the medication."

"Doctor Jackson had no such reactions to the haloperidol the first time." Mackenzie calmly interrupted. "In fact, the seizures occurred only after the medication was stopped."

"That's true, General." Fraiser took back control. "However, this time the dosage administered to Doctor Jackson was nearly double the dosage last time and we know now that he is not truly ill. Doubling the dosage of medicine when the patient is not ill in the first place may be prompting these dramatic effects."

"Alright. We will get to the bottom of this, but for now I want less finger pointing and more answers." Hammond looked at Fraiser. "What's next?"

"Well, Sir, we were still giving Doctor Jackson haloperidol in lower dosages. There are no narcotic effects, but the drug can prompt withdrawal symptoms if cut off abruptly. That ends now. Seizures are a definite warning sign for haloperidol overdose."

Hammond nodded. "Do you have anything to add, Doctor Mackenzie?"

The psychiatrist simply shook his head. "Doctor Jackson is under Doctor Fraiser's care. Once this settles out, I'll outline my ideas for Doctor Jackson's follow-up care. I am still worried that he is expressing signs of a serious mental disorder. Whether that disorder is being masked by this current situation remains to be seen. All I can suggest is that Doctor Jackson bears some further study."

Hammond digested that before dismissing Mackenzie. "Thank you. Doctor." He turned back to Janet. "Doctor Fraiser, please keep me up to date."

"Of course, General." Janet nodded as she stood up.

- - - - -

Jack was on his feet instantly as Nem exited the infirmary. His foot kicked over a stack of styrofoam cups. Nobody paid them any attention as they concentrated first on the alien and then the small woman trailing in his wake.

"Doctor Fraiser?" Teal'c took the lead this time.

"SG1." Hammond stepped out of the infirmary. "I will be accompanying Nem back to the gate room. Colonel, you will accompany us."

Jack looked once at the door of the infirmary before nodding. "Yes, sir." He looked back once as Hammond led them out.

"Janet?" Sam picked up where Teal'c left off.

"Well, knowing the Colonel, you won't get a chance to see Doctor Jackson once he gets in there. Why don't you both come in? I know both Doctor Jackson and Myomis will be glad to have you there."

"Daniel and Myomis?" Sam's eyebrows went up.

"Yes. Doctor Jackson reappeared during the meditation session with Teal'c. He's been in and out of consciousness all afternoon." Janet opened the door and led them into the infirmary.

Teal'c and Sam headed immediately for Daniel's bed, taking up positions on either side. The archaeologist was oblivious to them, curled up on his side and sleeping lightly.

Sam crouched by the side of his bed and brushed his hair out of his face. "Daniel?" She whispered hopefully.

She was rewarded as his eyes opened slightly. Sam sucked in a breath, waiting to see who would answer.

"Hey, Sam." Daniel groaned and started to turn onto his back. Teal'c assisted him by flagging out the covers and tucking him back in when he was settled. Daniel's eyes scrunched up at the corner as he attempted to focus. "Teal'c." He smiled and dropped his head back to the pillow. He relaxed, sprawling across the bed. Abruptly, he frowned and raised his head. "Jack?"

"O'Neill will join us shortly." Daniel nodded and put one arm over his eyes.

"The General wanted the Colonel to go with him. Nem's going home."

"_Abi_ is very excited." Myomis's voice was muffled under his arm.

Teal'c and Sam exchanged glances. "Myomis? Where's Daniel?"

Daniel's arm dropped to the bed and he grinned his lightning quick smile up at Sam, showing some of his old spark. "Dumb question."

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said in the closest thing to a stunned whisper that a Jaffa warrior could manage.

Sam blinked rapidly and clutched at the sheets. "Are you two…?" She looked up and down, unsure how to say it.

"We are talking again, Samantha." He winced and changed tone and accent. "Well, we haven't quite got all the kinks worked out. Myomis and I are more or less sharing."

"Do you share memories?" Teal'c asked, cocking his head.

Daniel's eyebrows went up. "No. We don't. Well, I don't. What about you, Myomis?"

Sam shuddered as the alien intelligence once more took over the body of her friend. Myomis cocked his head much like Teal'c and hissed a little through his teeth. "I have only my memories, Daniel."

He turned to Sam, and all of sudden, Daniel's warm gaze was back. "It's weird, isn't it?"

"Ya think?" Jack walked around the bed next to Daniel's. He had his hands in his pockets. He tilted his body and looked at Daniel. "Hey."

Daniel looked back and his eyebrows went up again. "Hey."

"So?"

"So?" Daniel feigned ignorance.

"You two…" Jack made a rolling gesture with one hand. "Playing nice?"

A couple of expressions played across Daniel's face. For a surreal moment, the other members of SG1 could almost see Myomis and Daniel as two separate entities exchanging exasperated glances.

"Wuh…" Daniel winced and then paused and cleared his throat. "Ow. Okay, we have to work out a better way to share."

"Both of you trying to talk at the same time?"

"Doesn't work very well." Daniel finished Jack's sentence as he massaged his temple. Sam stood up as Daniel yawned and turned over again.

"We'll leave you to get some sleep." She patted his shoulder. "The General wants us to go back to Borsippa once we get the gate coordinates narrowed down for the small temple."

"_Abi_ brought the key for you?" Myomis wrinkled his forehead and squinted up at Carter. His glasses were on the nightstand next to the bed.

"He did." Teal'c stood next to Sam. "We will be leaving tomorrow."

"You… guys get to sit this one out." Jack struggled through the sentence, still trying to get used to the idea of referring to Daniel, or at least Daniel's body, in the plural. "Doc says you have to rest up another few days."

"Yeah. I'll- we'll join you when the room stops spinning." Daniel put an arm over his head and curled up. Taking that less than subtle hint, his team-mates said their goodbyes and left.

- - - - -

"Alright, SG1, you ship out tomorrow morning. Any progress on the constellation coordinates?"

Sam stepped up. "Well, sir, using the constellation that Colonel O'Neill gave us, we looked through some of the possibilities. We mapped the location of the main stars in the constellation and worked backward to see if they are in our database. Three planets in the constellation Ophiuchus have co-ordinates on the Abydos cartouche."

Sam touched the computer keyboard, bringing up a star chart. "We've sent MALPs and UAVs to all three planets. One of the three has an unbreathable atmosphere and it appears to have been that way for quite some time. The other two are possibilities. The UAV could find no sign of life on one of the two, but we found a series of temples on the third. Doctor Haller confirms that it is a Babylonian system of architecture."

"I propose that we take all three addresses. If we have an opportunity to try all three, then we will. We will start with the potential Babylonian world first."

"And what happens if you have only one opportunity?"

Everyone looked around at each other. Jack cleared his throat. "We'll have to see what happens then."

Hammond's lips thinned. "No unnecessary risks by any of you."

Jack lifted his head. "Nothing unnecessary, sir." Jack sounded contrite, but Hammond could hear the unspoken pledge in there. For Daniel Jackson, or any other member of his team, Jack O'Neill would find a great many things 'necessary'.

- - - - -

The sun on Borsippa was bright. "Alright kids, we have 48 hours. Let's see if we can cut that down any." Ignoring Haller's glare, O'Neill adjusted the brim of his baseball cap as the gate flickered out behind him. "Carter, you and Teal'c go with Fulton. Don't fall off anything. Haller, you're with me. Report in as usual and don't take any chances. There could be a Goa'uld in there, for all we know."

"Sir." Carter nodded and then gestured for Fulton and Teal'c. The three adjusted their packs and walked away.

Jack readied his weapon and went first, leading Haller toward the ruined temple.

- - - - -

"Oh man, this doesn't get any easier the second time." Sam breathed deeply as she stretched. They were on the last bit of level ground just before the temple stairs.

Fulton grinned. "You _do_ have the key, don't you?"

Sam's eyebrows went up. "No, I thought you…"

Fulton started to chuckle. Sam rolled her eyes. "That's insubordination, soldier."

"Ma'am." Fulton came to attention instantly.

Sam laughed. "You're such a…" She shook her head and left the thought unspoken. "You get to go first. Double speed."

Fulton groaned and led the way.

- - - - -

"How is Daniel?" Haller broke the silence as the pair walked to the temple.

Jack shot a look sideways at the archaeologist. "What did you hear?"

Haller mopped the back of his neck with a handkerchief. "Nem said that his son was alive." Haller shook his head. "It amazes me. He said that Daniel and Myomis were sharing one body. How is that possible?"

Jack shrugged. "Ask Fraiser. Better yet, ask your buddy Nem." Jack glared at the sand dunes in the distance.

"Colonel?"

Jack shook his head. "Daniel has an alien intelligence locked in his mind. They are learning to live with each other, but Daniel's sick and in a lot of pain. Sooner we get Myomis out, the happier I'll be." Jack squared his shoulders and quickened his pace.

- - - - -

"Okay." Sam stood at one side of the giant carved door inside the temple. "Now what?"

Fulton dropped his pack on the ground. "Well, we put the bracelet into the gap." He pulled the box out of the pack and opened it. He looked first at the gap and then at the bracelet, holding up the jewellery and comparing the two.

"That's it?" Sam's eyebrows went up.

Fulton smiled. "Well, this is a little more 'Indiana Jones' than I'm used to, but I guess so, Captain."

"Be wary." Teal'c rumbled, his staff weapon dipping toward the door. Sam straightened up and steadied her gun, training it on the doorway.

"Fulton, put the piece in and then move away. If nothing happens, we'll look for another way."

"Yes, ma'am." Fulton was quiet as he stepped forward. With a look over each shoulder at his fellow warriors, he stepped forward and held the bracelet up to the statue. He jumped slightly as the piece flew from his fingers into the slot as if it was magnetised.

"Sergeant, fall back." Fulton readied his own weapon and gave ground as the door made a series of sharp clicks. The three soldiers moved more to the side, out of range of anything that might come through the door.

Sam clenched her fingers around the trigger as the door made a deep grinding noise and started to open.

- - - - -

"So?"

"Yes, Colonel?"

"You just, what, open it?"

"That is the general idea." Haller said with mock coolness.

"Well, it was the general's idea." Jack shot back.

Haller made a pained face. "I'll dial the address. You kill anything that tries to kill me."

Jack lifted his gun, prepared. "That's why they pay me the big bucks." He settled his weapon against his shoulder as Haller walked up to the door. All joking ended as Haller began to search out and depress the symbols.

Haller paused as he came to the last symbol. "We never discussed whether to use the Earth point of origin or the Borsippa point of origin."

Jack adjusted his weapon. "Earth."

The archaeologist moved toward the stone button immediately and then paused again. "Wait. Why?"

O'Neill remained perfectly still, save for a slight shrug. "Constellation is from Earth, why not the point of origin?"

Haller opened his mouth to argue, but then couldn't really refute the logic so he simply shrugged and pressed the button. Drawing his sidearm, he retreated to the side as the stone wall started to shake.

- - - - -

Carter, Teal'c and Fulton stared into the darkness in vain. The doors had opened right in the middle of the carving of Marduk. The two halves slid laboriously aside, leaving the way clear. With her eyes fixed on the blackness beyond the doorway, Carter called for Fulton.

"Do you have a flare, Sergeant?"

"Yes, ma'am." Fulton checked over his shoulder to see that Teal'c was still guarding his back before lowering his weapon and opening one of the pockets on his vest. With a nod to Carter, he snapped and lit it. After a pause to make sure it was fully lit, he threw it in to the doorway with a graceful underhand toss.

The flare bounced twice before rolling to a stop. Carter took a deep breath.

"Holy Hannah!"

- - - - -

"Crap!" Jack swore, backing away as the doors open and clouds of dust cascaded into the bright sunlight. Haller put one hand over his eyes and stumbled away while O'Neill kept his weapon firmly trained on the doorway. His aviator glasses had sealed out the dust and protected him. He dropped his head long enough to wipe his face on his upper arm, and then was back in a ready stance.

"Haller?" He barked, sparing the archaeologist a sideways glance.

"I'm alright, Colonel, just a little dust in my eyes. Now I understand why Daniel hates contact lenses." He blinked rapidly.

"Use the canteen water, flush your eyes." Jack took several steps closer. So far, nothing had leapt out and attempted to kill them. The noise alone should have woken the dead.

Haller nodded to show that he was fine. Using the canteen water would flush the contact lenses out of his eyes along with the dust, so he blinked a few times, his eyes watering.

"You'd think I'd know better by now." He wiped his face with a handkerchief.

By this time, Jack had approached the doorway, his posture stiff, attention focused. "You ready?" He said tersely. Haller straightened up and took his flashlight in one hand, handgun in the other.

"Let's go, Colonel."

Jack led the way into the temple, sweeping the muzzle of his gun in wide arcs, covering ground efficiently.

"Haller? This it?"

The archaeologist stepped forward carefully, still maintaining his cautious stance despite the object in front of him.

"Good God, Colonel. I think we found it."

- - - - -

"This is it, Captain. I think we found it." Fulton whistled between his teeth as he took in the contents of the once-hidden room.

"It's amazing." Sam whispered the words reverently as she took in the splendour of the room.

"This matches the descriptions of Etemananki from Earth." He stepped forward cautiously, ensuring that Teal'c and Carter were still at the ready.

The room was small, but richly decorated. The high ceilings, the walls and even the floor were all covered in gold. Despite the years and the light accumulation of dust, the metal still gleaming brightly with the flare's strong light. Every surface was covered in fine details. Images, words and glyphs were punched into the shining gold.

Fulton looked back at Carter, who nodded once. Assured that he was being guarded, Fulton stepped up to the wall, tracing his fingers over the script. "It's Akkadian. Cuneiform." He breathed in deeply. "It's fantastic." He tilted his head up. "The linear architecture is classic Akkadian style. Look. It's perfectly square. High ceilings. The tomb is on a tiered platform. Three steps to the top." Fulton shook his head. "It's amazing."

"What about the tomb?" Carter asked, still watchful. "Is it Omoroca?"

"Daniel Jackson said that Omoroca's tomb was plain stone." Teal'c added.

"Perhaps he was wrong." Fulton stepped forward cautiously. He crouched and ran his fingers over the stairs. From his vest pocket, he pulled a small brush and began cleaning the etchings along the side of the tomb.

"Sergeant Fulton?" Teal'c caught the young man's attention as he became engrossed in studying the sides of the tomb.

"Huh? Oh. This is amazing." He smiled up at them. "The original description of Etemananki's temple said that it was made with gypsum walls and cedar for the roof. It was then plated in gold with lapis, alabaster, and gems for accents. Now, the original description said that the altar was solid gold. There was also a chair, or couch, a footstool and a statue of Marduk."

Sam's gun lowered a little as she relaxed her guard slightly and looked around. "Okay, so there's the couch and footstool." Teal'c walked around the tomb to take a look. In the far corner, still in shadow, a gold plated throne could be seen. It was huge and elaborate. She looked around and gave a little shrug. "What now?"

"Photograph everything." He waved a hand. "Everything."

- - - - -

"I need photographs." Haller breathed, jaw dropping open at the end of the sentence.

Jack made a complete circuit of the room, gun at the ready, before relaxing his guard slightly. His gun was still up, but he spared Haller a glance.

"Haller… you're catching flies."

The scientist's mouth snapped shut and he glared at Jack. "Colonel, this matches the description given by Daniel."

Jack's eyebrows went up. "This matches the description of the building that collapsed?"

Haller shook his head. "The tomb, Colonel, the tomb." Haller pulled a drawing from his front pocket and laid it down gently on the stone surface of the tomb. "Look. The inscriptions, the carvings…even this picture of the dragon, Tiamat. It's all from Daniel's drawings."

"Myomis died in Babylon."

"Marduk must have excavated the tomb. Fascinating. I wonder what happened to Myomis's body?" Haller stepped back. "Let's see if we can get this open."

- - - - -

"Any sign of an opening mechanism?" Sam stepped carefully around the golden tomb.

Fulton looked up. "Uh… nothing here." He smiled over at Sam. "But look at this room, Captain, it could be hidden anywhere."

"I concur." Teal'c said, resting the butt of his staff weapon on the ground and looking around. "The Goa'uld I served would frequently hide latches and buttons within the decorative elements in the walls."

"Is this Omoroca's tomb, then?" Sam asked, tracing one of the carvings on the tomb.

"It may be. We should contact Doctor Haller and Colonel O'Neill."

- - - - -

"Carter, come in." Jack stood outside the tomb, looking at the sky and waiting for his second in command to respond. "Carter? Report." Jack kicked a stone aside and looked back into the temple. "Dammit Haller, I said not to push any buttons."

The archaeologist froze with his fingers splayed across a carving before scowling at the Colonel and resuming his task.

"Sir? This is Carter."

"Carter." Jack focused his attention back on his radio. "We think we found it."

"Sir?" The Captain sounded surprised. "We thought we might have it here too."

"Yeah? What'd you get?"

"Well… tomb, chair, footstool."

"Footstool?"

"Yes, sir."

"We didn't get a footstool."

"What did you find, sir?"

"Oh, the usual. Temple, dust, rocks, and a tomb that matches the description that Myomis gave us."

"Sir? It matches?"

"Yup. What… yours doesn't?"

"Well, ours appears to be made out of gold."

"Gold?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hold on, Carter." Jack clicked off the radio and yelled out to the archaeologist. "Haller! No touching!" He waited for the expected glower and then continued. "Carter says they found a solid gold tomb. Were we expecting that?"

The archaeologist trotted out of the tomb, wiping his hands on his pant leg. He reached for his radio. "Sergeant? What's this about a gold tomb?"

"Hey, Doctor." Fulton's voice got clearer as the man probably headed out of the temple and into the open air. "We're looking at a pretty good re-creation of the temple from Etemananki."

"You have the couch?"

"More of a throne, Doctor."

"Amazing."

Jack rolled his eyes. "One at a time, here. Haller, finish in our sandbox and you can go play in theirs. We have 48 hours. Let's make good use of it."

- - - - -

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

"Welcome back, SG1. I trust you were successful."

Jack gave a little grin as he took off his baseball cap and met the General's steady gaze. "Very, sir. As we said in our reports, we got both doors open."

"Excellent work, all of you. We'll brief on this at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. Report to the infirmary and then get some rest."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Jack made a little 'oh-by-the-way' face that fooled no-one. "Ah, how's Daniel?"

The other four members of the expedition straightened up and paid close attention.

Hammond gave a small smile. "Doctor Jackson is doing well. He was working in his office today, under Doctor Fraiser's near constant supervision. He wasn't up long, but he appeared to be well."

Sam exchanged grins with Haller while Teal'c nodded his head slightly.

Hammond looked at each of them in turn. "I believe he's asleep right now. Why don't you go visit Doctor Fraiser?"

Jack nodded. "Thank you, sir." As he turned to leave, he gave Teal'c a triumphant little smack on the shoulder.

- - - - -

Jack slipped into Daniel's office after visiting the infirmary. As Hammond said, the archaeologist had finally fallen asleep in one of the VIP rooms, guarded by two burly SFs. Jack had checked on him before returning to the linguist's lab to see what had kept him so occupied during their absence.

"Ouch." Jack couldn't help but comment as he leafed through pages and pages of paper. Daniel and Myomis were really burning the midnight oil. It looked like they were compiling a thorough Oannes/Akkadian/English dictionary.

… _wagûm - AHw 1456a suppressed; read a-yi(WA)-gu-ú ( egûm)…_

… _šisītu(m) - tisītum, sisītum "cry, clamour" O/jB, NA "proclamation" of herald, city; of work-song; "shout" of battle, of mourning; "cry" of DN; "roar" of waterfalls…_

… _šārītu - AHw 1187a, CAD š/ii, 63b suppressed; RIMA 2 p.207:75 and p. 248:96 offer šá-a-ri-a-te which is better analysed as ša ariāte (see arītu "shield"); despite AKA p. 321 pseudo-logographic writing not firmly attested JNP…_

Jack shook his head. The few starting entries were cross-referenced through a half dozen other books and both Myomis and Daniel had added their comments.

"That's just wrong." Jack muttered. He switched off the light and closed the door, determined to get some sleep himself. He made his way back to Daniel's VIP room and collapsed gratefully onto his hard and lumpy cot.

- - - - -

Jack woke up the next day to the smell of coffee. His nose twitched and he looked up blearily.

"Daniel?" He took the cup and levered himself carefully into a seated position.

He got a quick smile as a reward. "Hey Jack. We're going to have to have a talk about you going to your own room at night."

"What? A CO can't worry?"

"Yeah… I think this room's crowded enough with the two of us." Daniel tapped his own chest meaningfully.

"Three's a crowd?" Jack's eyebrows went up.

"Kinda."

"Okay, sure. I-"

"It's not that I-"

They stopped, tumbling over each others' words. Jack took an exaggerated sip of his coffee, giving Daniel time to talk. The other man looked at him steadily for a moment before straightening up. "I believe that Daniel is grateful for what you have done. He simply wishes you would not worry." A slow blush crept up Daniel's cheeks as Myomis returned control to him.

"Daniel?" Jack cocked his head.

"Myomis has a big mouth, Jack." Daniel moved away and played with the cuffs of his shirt.

"What's up?" Jack scratched his hair, making his bed-head even worse.

"It's just…" Daniel shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You've been under the microscope for a while and want a little quiet time?"

Daniel looked gratefully at Jack. "I'm sorry. I appreciate everything you guys have done…"

"No problem." Jack slapped his hand against his knee. "I'll just…"

"No, no… it's okay. I have to…"

They looked at each other before Daniel gave a half grin and turned away.

Jack stared until he reached the doorway. "Fraiser?"

Daniel looked back. "Yeah. She found out that I still have some blood left. Think she wants a crack at it."

"Okay. You two be good."

- - - - -

Hammond stood next to Fraiser in the office as Janet wrote notes on the reports.

"What is your opinion, Doctor Fraiser?"

"Daniel and Myomis have really done well in the last 24 hours. Doctor Jackson's body is showing greatly increased levels of dopamine though."

"Is that bad?"

Janet gave her head a little shake. "It's hard to say, sir. Dopamine is a biogenic amine. It is synthesized in the hypothalamus, among other places. Research has shown that it is important in regulating cardiovascular, renal, hormonal, and central nervous systems through stimulation of alpha and beta adrenergic and dopaminergic receptors." Hammond let that comment pass without statement, but Janet took the hint and dropped back to a more simplistic mode of speech.

"Basically, General, it plays a very important role in regulating the body. Too little results in neurological disorders like Parkinson's. Too much dopamine is often an indicator of schizophrenia."

"Which is why Doctor Jackson was diagnosed as schizophrenic?"

Janet nodded her head. "It goes a long way toward explaining it. That and his behaviour."

"And now?"

"I can't explain it, sir. Perhaps the dopamine acts as some sort of catalyst that allows the two personalities to interact. When Doctor Jackson had the haloperidol in his system, it interfered with this interaction. Myomis was active while Doctor Jackson was shunted aside."

She continued. "The side-effects of the dopamine will have to be monitored. We will have to control Doctor Jackson's blood pressure. Dopamine is believed to act in a manner very similar to adrenaline, in terms of the function. Dopamine affects brain processes that control movement, emotional response, and ability to experience pleasure and pain. This is obviously something we want to watch in Doctor Jackson."

"Do you think he will be able to return to the field, if monitored?"

Janet grimaced. "I can't say, General. If he continues the way he has been, he should be mentally ready to return to duty very soon."

"And physically?"

"As long as Myomis remains inside his head, we should never really return him to duty. That being said, I think that SG1 is going to need both Myomis and Doctor Jackson to solve this problem. If SG1 is willing to take on the responsibility of watching him, we'll play it by ear and see how it goes."

"I agree." Hammond nodded curtly. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Doctor Fraiser?" Hammond and Fraiser turned as one to see Daniel Jackson looking around the infirmary.

Janet nodded to Hammond and then walked out of her office and greeted Daniel.

"Good morning Doctor Jackson."

"Hello, Doctor Fraiser."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Fine, actually. Jack hovered once or twice, which woke me up, but otherwise fine."

"How's your head? Any residual problems?"

"Feeling better, actually. Not as," Daniel made a little rolling motion with his hands as he tried to come up with an appropriate word. "Muzzy."

"Muzzy?"

"Muzzy." Daniel nodded. Having found the perfect word, he was loath to give it up.

"How about you, Myomis?" From the office, Hammond watched and marvelled at Janet's 'can-do' attitude. Daniel Jackson had two personalities inside one body. Fine. Janet Fraiser would treat them both.

Daniel's body shifted slightly, his head lifting. "I am well, Janet."

"You slept alright?"

"Aside from Jack, yes." Myomis smiled, remembering the Colonel's muted swearing as he stubbed his toe for the fourth time.

Hammond and Fraiser exchanged looks. Fraiser took the next step. "Alright, then. I want to take your blood pressure and a blood test and then…" She trailed off with a short look at the General. "I think you have a briefing to make."

Daniel smiled broadly. "Really?"

Hammond nodded. "You'll have to be monitored closely, son, but I know your team needs you back with them."

"General, thank you." Daniel's simple words belied his relief. He dropped his jacket and rolled up his sleeve for Janet, more than happy to oblige with the now-ritual bloodletting.

- - - - -

Jack swivelled in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Sam, Teal'c and Jack were there. Haller and Fulton had arrived after them, setting up the laptop with another slide show.

"Sorry, sorry." Daniel jogged in, rolling down his sleeves. Sam's head snapped up and she grinned.

"Daniel."

Jack's eyebrows went up. "Hey."

"Hey." Daniel responded somewhat breathlessly.

"Fraiser spring you?"

"Apparently SG1 needs another archaeologist."

"Indeed. Your input has been missed, Daniel Jackson."

"Thank you, Teal'c." Daniel looked over at Haller and Fulton grinning madly at him from behind the laptop. "Ira, Jamie… thanks for looking after things. I was looking at the photographs. Is it really a staged ziggurat?"

Jack mouthed the word 'Ira' to Carter who ducked her head and grinned. Although they had been working with the archaeologist for some time, no-one had thought to ask him his first name.

"Daniel." Haller reached out an arm and gripped Daniel's forearm tightly. "Good job. Good to have you back."

"It is a staged ziggurat." Fulton nodded, slightly more reserved. "It was amazing, Daniel."

"Fulton has done the math, and he tells me that the proportions were almost exactly like the calculated and recorded proportions of Etemananki… on a slightly smaller scale." Haller gestured to the younger man.

"And missing a level." Daniel pursed his lips. "I wonder if that has significance?"

"Yeah… Marduk can't count." Jack broke in. "Now sit down, I'm sure the Doc didn't mean for you to be… bouncing all over the place." Jack waved a hand casually, hiding his concern.

"We are not bouncing, Jack." Myomis broke in with a frown.

Fulton and Haller stepped back. They had not been allowed to see Daniel since his dramatic awakening in the infirmary. They had never yet confronted an awake and rational Myomis.

Jack craned his neck at the pair. "Ah. First time? Myomis, play nice with the boys. Haller, Fulton… meet Myomis."

The duo were nothing if not adaptable. There was a moment of hesitation before Haller grinned and said a couple of words in Akkadian.

Myomis cocked his head and bowed slightly. "_Shalamu_, _Targmanu_-Haller."

The older archaeologist nearly danced with delight. "_Targmanu_? Ah… translator. Amazing. Fascinating."

"You should try it from this angle." Daniel grinned wryly and shrugged.

"Good morning, people." Hammond walked in to the room. Like a group of tardy schoolchildren, SG1 and the scientists quickly found their seats.

"First off." Hammond took his seat and clasped his hands together. "Welcome back, Doctor Jackson. SG1 tells me that Doctor Haller and Sergeant Fulton have both performed well in your absence, but I am certain they will be relieved to have you back."

"Double the fun." Jack remarked innocently, making Daniel turn and glare at him. Jack's hands went up. "What?"

"As for your next mission." Hammond broke in before hostilities could escalate further. "A return to Borsippa has been proposed. Doctor Jackson, can you offer any insights on Borsippa?"

Daniel's head came up, but it was Myomis who responded. "Omoroca's tomb is this one." He pointed to the plain stone tomb. There was a soft look on his face, a subtle happiness. "She is inside."

"Can we open it?" Hammond asked, wondering if it was just that easy.

Myomis shook his head. "I never thought to see it again. I knew I would die. I thought…" He stopped for a moment as emotion welled up in him. His fingers traced the images in the photos. "I thought Belus would kill my wife and children, and my friends. I safeguarded it with keys." Myomis's voice became hoarse and he blinked rapidly. "I never thought…"

Everyone looked uneasily at each other. Myomis shook his head and then Daniel was back. "Uh… anyway, that's a 'no'. We can't open the tomb now." Daniel's fingers kept tracing the same patterns Myomis began. "We'd need the keys. Myomis said that he made drawings of them?"

Haller spoke up. "Yes, we've had the staff here at the SGC researching them. So far, we have no solid leads."

"Well, there were a few expeditions to Babylon. I'd concentrate on what was taken from the early ones. The rules about the proper disposition of artifacts was not as strict then." Daniel grimaced.

"Oh? Dirty secrets of the archaeological world?" Jack perked up.

Haller fiddled with some papers on his desk. "The earliest surveys in Babylon were done through museums. There were cases, however, where these trips were viewed more as money-making or treasure hunting ventures. These keys, if they existed in Babylon, may now be part of a private collection."

"Have we any other leads?" Hammond looked around the room.

"What about the constellation planet?" Sam shrugged. "P4X-181. There has to be a reason that it was used."

"Any indication of why the constellation was used in the locking mechanism of the doorway?"

Jack and Daniel exchanged looks. "Well, from what I've read of Jack's reports, the constellation is Ophiuchus." Daniel shuffled some papers. "I've been thinking about that."

"When?" Jack broke in. Daniel turned to look at him.

"What?"

"When have you been thinking about this?" Jack spread his hands as Daniel looked around the room. "I mean, c'mon, you've been in the infirmary. Does the word 'rest' have any meaning for you whatsoever?"

Daniel cocked his head, starting to look annoyed. "Rest. Etymology is Middle English, 12th century. It's a derivative of the Old High German 'rasta', meaning 'rest' or possibly 'ruowa', meaning 'calm'."

Jack made an exaggerated blink of his eyes, shaking his head. "Okay, bad example. I'm just-"

Daniel turned back to Hammond. "General, I had a lot of free time to think about this." He looked once at Jack to make sure that there would be no further interruptions before continuing. "Ophiuchus is most commonly associated with the myth of Aesculapius. One of the more interesting legends is that Aesculapius gained the power to bring the dead back to life by using the blood of Medusa. Alternately, it is said that Aesculapius gained the power to heal after killing a serpent. A second serpent healed the first, and Aesculapius found out how he did it."

"Serpent?" Sam asked, nodding as the pieces fell together.

"Snake." Jack finished for her. "A snake with a sarcophagus."

Daniel nodded. "That's a possible interpretation. In time, Aesculapius brought so many people back from the dead that he was destroyed by the Gods."

"Dead end." Jack played with his coffee cup.

"Possibly. Other interpretations of the myth have a more Egyptian slant. Ophiuchus is identified in some regards as Imhotep, a story which has parallels to Aesculapius, or even Akhenaten. Akhenaten is interesting since he worshipped Ra and declared that all other Egyptian deities were…" Daniel paused to give his next words the appropriate emphasis, "False gods."

Teal'c's head lifted. "I have heard stories of Akhenaten."

Haller and Fulton looked over at him. "Really?" Haller and Daniel exchanged glances.

"Little is spoken of him. He was considered a traitor, punished by the Gods."

"There are some interesting anomalies in the story of Akhenaten." Haller said. "He was considered to be different, physically, from the people he ruled. There has been a great deal of speculation as to what this possible birth defect may have been."

"Like the Oannes, then." Daniel nodded.

"What?" Jack spoke, but every eye turned toward Daniel.

"Oh. I didn't mention?"

"You've been busy." Jack allowed.

"Well, Nem suffered from a birth defect… kind of a mutagenic thing. The Oannes originally are very tall and have blue or green skin, sharp teeth and black or blue hair. Their features are, for the most part, similar to humans."

"So the whole 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' thing?" Jack waved his hand over his own face.

"Is a birth defect. Nem was, well, thrown out of the Oannes. That's why he never went back after Omoroca… died. Despite the wishes of her family, she loved Nem and left when he left."

"Are they born with it?" Sam asked, the scientist in her perking up.

"Well, from what Myomis tells me, most of the members of Nem's family carry the genetic anomaly. It lies dormant in the system until something causes it to activate. Over a period of a year, the mutations begin."

"Most of the family." Fulton said.

"Myomis doesn't carry the defect. Anu, Myomis's brother, did. He became obsessed with the anomaly. That's why he is credited with the 'creation' of Lamashtu."

"Myomis's wife."

"Yes, General. Pazuzu and Lamashtu were both… genetically engineered, for lack of a better term. Anu manipulated their DNA to give them aspects of the Oannes within a humanoid body that did not have the Oannes defect."

"For what purpose?" The General frowned.

"I can't say. Perhaps he was seeking a gene therapy that would eliminate the anomaly. Perhaps he was being influenced by his Goa'uld who wanted a more…" Daniel waved his hands.

"Perfect host." Teal'c said softly.

"Well… that explains the image of Marduk, uh, Belus on Borsippa." Sam exclaimed. "Daniel, your original report said that Belus was humanoid… certainly more human than Nem, but the image on the carving was of an Oannes like Nem."

Daniel nodded. "So, the defective gene must have become active sometime after Myomis's, ah, 'death'."

"Wait." Jack held up a finger. "Pizzazz?"

Daniel closed his eyes in mock pain. "Pazuzu of Dilmun, Jack. In classical myth, he was a demon, Lamashtu's arch rival."

"Dilmun?" Haller broke in, shuffling papers. "There were references in the temples on the planet orbiting Rasalhague, the brightest star in Ophiuchus." He pulled one out and pushed it across the table to Daniel.

The archaeologist picked it up, but it was Myomis who spoke as he read the page.

"Dilmun." He put the paper down. An expression of hatred, foreign to Daniel Jackson, was now stamped across the young man's features. "Dilmun, the home of Pazuzu." He made a hissing noise between his teeth and covered the paper with his hand. "This is where we must go."

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twenty**_

"Gentlemen and ladies, well, lady. Sorry Carter. Welcome to the glorious world of P4X-181. Dullsville."

"Dilmun." Daniel supplied.

"Whatever." Jack curled the brim of his baseball cap and squinted up at the sky.

They cleared the Stargate. SG1 kept watch while Sergeant Fulton took Daniel's blood pressure. Fraiser had given very strict instructions that he was to be monitored constantly, with special monitoring whenever something 'exciting' occurred. A trip through the Stargate certainly qualified.

"Okay, thanks Daniel." Fulton jotted the numbers down on a notepad, along with the time, and nodded to the archaeologist.

"Jack, Pazuzu must be found."

"Yeah, I know, Myomis." Jack turned and gave Daniel a once-over. "Are you ready for this?"

"We'll be fine, Jack."

Jack put his sunglasses on, hiding his expression. "Daniel-"

"Jack. Doctor Fraiser said I was fine."

"We just have to monitor you if you so much as jog."

"I'm fine."

Jack looked from one side to the other. "Let me talk to Myomis."

Daniel cocked his head and then straightened up. "Jack?"

"Myomis, listen. I'm counting on you. You stay back. Anything happens, you watch out. Let Daniel take over and I don't want any arguments. Got it?"

Myomis nodded deeply. "Pazuzu must be found." That was all he said before Daniel was back.

"Alright, let's go. Teal'c, you take point. Haller, with me, Fulton with Daniel and Carter, watch our sixes."

- - - - -

The long walk to the temples went by fairly quickly. Myomis and Haller spoke briefly about some Akkadian linguistic syntax. Daniel and Myomis argued about some points of Babylonian mythology for 20 minutes until Jack asked him to stop. Listening to Daniel essentially argue with himself had pushed far past the colonel's comfort zone. Teal'c and Carter exchanged glances, neither of them as at ease as they pretended to be.

Once every hour, Fulton would pull out the medical equipment again and retest Daniel's blood pressure. So far, he was holding steady on the high side of normal.

After 3 hours, they made it to the complex.

Jack whistled a low note as he craned his neck and looked around. The temple complex was a series of squat buildings which looked as though they had been haphazardly piled one on top of the other. The remnants of trees and plants hung, shrivelled and wizened in the intense heat. Here and there, flashes of coloured tiles were visible.

"This is odd." Jack gave it one good look and then concentrated on perimeter security.

Daniel and Haller made interesting bookends as they spun slowly in place, trying to take it all in.

"Is that a terraced garden?"

"Amazing, and the glazing seems to be perfectly intact."

"Mud?"

"Definitely mud, most likely with a brick base."

"Is that a polychrome tile?"

Daniel spun back, one hand keeping his boonie on his head. "Where?" His gaze followed Haller's pointing finger and he squinted. "Wow. Look at the detail." He took a step forward.

"Ah! Daniel, Haller, back in line." Jack brought the architectural frenzy to an abrupt halt.

"Colonel!" Haller began.

"Please." Daniel finished.

"No." Jack cut them off ruthlessly. "Ah!" He held up a hand to forestall any more protests. "Alright. It seems that we have archaeologists to spare. Haller, you go with Teal'c. Fulton, you're with Carter. Daniel, you're with me. Check in every 30 minutes. We meet again here in four hours. Got it?"

There was a brief scuffle as Fulton turned the medical supplies over to Jack while Daniel rolled his eyes in the background.

Since they were at a convenient fork in the road, Daniel and Jack continued north into the heart of the temple. Haller and Teal'c went west and Sam and Fulton went east.

Jack and Daniel continued to walk deeper into the heart of the structure. Jack kept his gun at the ready, while Daniel looked around. Both Daniel and Myomis kept up an unending commentary. This time, though, Jack allowed it. This was the stuff that would help them find Omoroca. When they found Omoroca, they could get Daniel back in his own mind… or Myomis in his mind… or out of Daniel's mind… or genes…

Whatever.

Jack cleared his throat. Myomis looked over at him.

"Jack?"

"You two." Jack made a small grimace. "See anything useful?"

"Define useful." Daniel drawled.

"Useful… Old High Middle English for anything that gets Omoroca outta her tomb, Myomis outta your head and me outta here." Jack snarled half-heartedly.

"Jack." Myomis filled the silence. "I know this is difficult for you."

Jack sighed, adjusting his sunglasses and squinting at the slivers of sky visible between the odd overhanging walls of the complex. "I just-" He made a rolling motion with his hand.

"I know." Daniel stared at his back for a moment before pointing. "Up there. The heart of the complex will probably have some more clues. Let's go that way and see if we can find some writing."

- - - - -

"So, Pazuzu?" Carter began as she and Fulton picked their way around the periphery of the complex. The pair stepped carefully. The walls on this side of the temple structure were crumbling. The glaze that had hidden the mud brick had started to break away and fall. The bricks below were being worn down by the light wind that seemed to blow constantly.

Fulton stepped forward and poked his fingers into one of the gaps, testing the stability of the structure. He backed up and took two photographs before rejoining Carter. More restrained than Haller or Daniel, he was nonetheless an archaeologist.

"Pazuzu." Fulton shrugged. "His name is bandied about a lot, but really, we don't know that much, Captain. It's always been an interesting story for me. On one hand, you have Pazuzu; a demon of wind and disease. On the other, you have another demon, Lamashtu; a demon of disease. Nothing ever explained their enmity. People wore medallions of Pazuzu hoping to repel Lamashtu, but why would they call on one disease demon to cure another?"

"So, this whole storyline has been a setup by the Goa'uld." Carter stated.

"Looks like, ma'am. Lamashtu, by virtue of her association with Myomis, was demonized in popular myth of the time. Over time, that propaganda was taken literally."

"And she became a demon." Sam shook her head. "But she was human?"

Fulton made a noncommittal half-nod. "So Myomis says." He stopped and craned his neck, looking at a high wall next to them. "Here. Come around here, ma'am."

Sam followed his gaze up, examining the image painted on the wall. Due to a wall that jutted out, this area was somewhat more sheltered. "Whoa." Sam muttered. The image on the wall was over fifteen feet high. It had a dog's head, and was of a brown-skinned somewhat humanoid female form. One hand held a pig, the other held a dog.

"Is that?"

"Yes, ma'am. The demon was said to suckle the beasts at her breast."

"Ow." Sum pulled her eyes away from the image and back at Fulton. "And that's Pazuzu?"

Fulton shook his head. "No, ma'am. That's Lamashtu."

- - - - -

"Fantastic." Haller breathed, taking another photograph.

"This image does not look human." Teal'c said, as they beheld a fifteen foot tall painting on the rough stone wall.

"Well, there is some degree of artistic license." Haller allowed. "The image is distinctly avian. Two arms, clawed feet and an almost reptilian face. The wings have always intrigued scholars. They are feathered, but appear to be dragonfly in shape. Four spread wings instead of two raised wings."

"And what does this indicate?"

Haller made a little huffing noise as he thought. "Well, my personal assumption has always been that the wings and avian aspect are simply an allusion to his status of wind-demon. Of course, this couldn't possibly how he really appears."

- - - - -

"Is it getting windier?" Jack zipped up his jacket and settled his cap more firmly on his head.

"I hadn't noticed." Daniel murmured as his fingers traced some of the intricate tile work. As he took another step forward, his legs suddenly gave out on him and he stumbled.

Jack was there in an instant, gripping him by his upper arm.

"What was that?"

Daniel shook his head. "I just tripped."

Jack looked down. "Tricky bit of flat ground there?"

Shrugging, Daniel turned back to the wall. Jack sighed and dropped his pack, swinging his weapon around and glaring into the myriad tunnels running through the complex as if defying anyone to take advantage of his split second distraction. Once appeased, he gestured to Daniel. "Get over here." His words were harsh, but the tone was mild, almost soothing.

"Jack, that's ridiculous. I feel fine."

"We can go home, if you'd prefer. Fraiser could do it."

"Don't be an ass." Daniel said mildly as he walked toward the colonel, already rolling up his sleeve. As he got within five feet of the Colonel, his feet tangled again and he sat down abruptly, before Jack could get to him.

"Daniel?" Jack crouched on the ground, putting his hand under Daniel's chin and drawing his head up.

"I do not feel well, Jack." Myomis's speech was slurred, and he blinked his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Jack checked Myomis's eyes. They were reacting normally. His biggest fear was a stroke, especially with Daniel's elevated blood pressure. "Dammit, talk to me. Can you move your arms?"

"It's not a stroke." Daniel came back, correctly interpreting Jack's concern. "Feels like I'm walking on a ship. Sick to my stomach."

Jack wrapped the pressure cuff around Daniel's arm and checked it. He breathed a small sigh of relief to see that it wasn't that high.

"Jack, are you well?" Myomis gripped Jack's arm tightly.

"Huh? Fine." Myomis shook his arm impatiently.

"Really? Think."

Jack shook his head impatiently, reading through Fraiser's painstaking list of instructions. "Headache. My eyes hurt a little. I'm just tired."

"Jack, Pazuzu. Pazuzu is a demon of disease." Myomis's laboured words turned Jack's blood cold.

- - - - -

"I think we go this way." Fulton shrugged and pointed. They had entered into a series of close alleyways and were winding their way through. Sam stopped and frowned.

"We've been here."

"What?" Fulton stopped and craned his neck upwards, trying to see the sky.

"We've been here. I'm sure."

"No, it's this way."

"We just came that way."

"What? It can't be."

Sam walked over to Fulton. "Are you alright?"

Fulton rubbed his eyes. "Dizzy."

"Alright, let's get out of this maze. We need to call the Colonel anyway." Sam started to walk out, but then abruptly tripped on nothing and dropped to the ground. "Dammit." She cursed, nursing the stinging scratches on her palms.

"Captain, are you okay?" Fulton swallowed heavily. "Ugh. I don't feel so good."

"Carter? Teal'c? Come in." Jack's voice rang out from the radio.

- - - - -

"Fascinating." Haller breathed for probably the fourteenth time in ten minutes. He and Teal'c had worked their way further into the temple structure.

"Indeed." Teal'c solemnly intoned. He and Haller had discussed the Babylonian Goa'uld until the trinkets lying about had proved too great a distraction. After losing the thread of their fourth attempt at conversation, Teal'c gave up and was content to watch.

"See, here. This is an incantation." Haller gestured, looking back at Teal'c and then up at the cuneiform words on the wall. "The same incantation has been found on Earth. I recognize it."

He ran his fingers over the words, translating them for Teal'c, pausing in a few places where the words were unclear.

'_Anu begot her',_ Ea… '_Ea reared her_  
_Elil doomed her a dog's face  
She is tiny of hands  
She is long of finger, longer still of nail,  
Her forearms are'... _are… I can't make out that word._  
'She came right in the front door,  
Slithering over the doorpost casing!  
She slithered over the doorpost casing  
She has caught sight of the baby!  
Seven seizures has she done him in his belly  
Pluck out your nails! Let loose your arms!' _Certainly not friendly, are they?_  
'Before he gets to you, Ea, the warrior, as sage for the task,  
The doorpost casing is big enough for you, the doors are open,  
Come then, be gone through the doorpost casing!  
They fill your mouth with dust, your face with sand  
With fine-ground mustard seeds they will fill your eyes!  
I exorcise you by Ea's curse: You must be gone!'_

"I'm guessing that they didn't much care for her." Haller scratched his head absently.

"So, it would seem." Teal'c rubbed a hand absently over his symbiote pouch and frowned. Haller grinned at him and then looked away. He paused and turned back, frowning.

"Are you alright, Teal'c?"

"I am well."

"You don't look well." Haller returned matter-of-factly.

"My symbiote is uneasy. It is restless. Are you well?"

"Me? Fine. In fact I'm simply-" He waved his hand as his eyes returned to the writing on the wall.

"Fantastic." Teal'c finished for him, his frown deepening.

"Carter? Teal'c? Come in." Teal'c reached for his radio.

- - - - -

Jack lifted his baseball cap and scratched his head, waiting until his team members answered.

"Sir?" Carter was first off the mark.

"O'Neill." Teal'c followed up a second later.

"You guys okay?" Jack asked, looking at Daniel.

"Sir?" He could hear an unsure note in Carter's voice.

"Are you okay? Sick. Falling over your feet. Okay."

"My symbiote is very uneasy, O'Neill, but I am well."

"Haller?" Jack decided to run through the roll-call. Easiest thing.

"I'm fine, Colonel."

"Carter?"

"I'm- I feel fine, sir. I just tripped."

"Tripped." Daniel and Jack exchanged glances. "Fulton?"

"I think I'm fine, sir. Just a little disoriented."

"Sir, how are you? Is Daniel-?"

"We're-" Jack grimaced and paused.

Myomis took over, pressing the button for the radio. "I am very dizzy and Jack has a headache."

"What does it mean, sir?" Fulton ventured.

"Pazuzu." Daniel scrunched his eyes up and tried to will the floor to stop spinning.

"What's that?" Haller questioned.

Jack sighed. "Daniel and Myomis have this crazy idea-"

"Pazuzu is a demon of disease." Fulton finished. "Makes sense."

"Wait, what do you mean? We're diseased?" Sam's voice was equal parts concern and disbelief.

"There has to be more to it than that." Jack could almost picture Fulton shaking his head dismissively. "The MALP showed nothing. No traces of airborne contaminants."

"So, what, something chemical?" Sam's scientific mind engaged.

"Has to be something he could control." Daniel had his eyes closed and his head resting on his forearms, on top of his bent knees as he sat on the ground, but he was still taking part.

"Control, how?" Jack kept them focused.

"Something that he could turn off and on. Real disease needs time to incubate. Even fast moving diseases like necrotising fasciitis move at the rate of hours or minutes. Something to control would require responses of seconds. No disease could do that." Carter effectively ruled out the disease element.

"What about chemical?" Fulton asked.

"Dispersion." Jack had the answer for that one, having seen the results of chemical warfare a few too many times. "You could never differentiate friendlies from enemies in such a wide area. Again, you're talking minutes to react, not seconds."

"Okay, what else?" Daniel's voice was muffled.

"Does Myomis have any answers?" Haller ventured.

"I cannot think of one." Myomis rocked his head side to side on his arms. "This is not Oannes technology."

"I remember something similar." Teal'c spoke. Jack's head bobbed up. "In service to Apophis, we did battle with the minions of a foul Goa'uld. This Goa'uld played upon many of the physical weaknesses of the human body and developed insidious weapons that could strike from afar. One of her devices produced similar effects. At times, the sound would be deafening, but at others, there was no discernable sound, yet the Jaffa would fall, their hearts crushed in their chests."

"Sound!"

"Carter?"

The radio clicked again after a pause. "Sir, low frequency sound can produce the effects we're experiencing. Experiments have been conducted using sound as a weapon. So far, we haven't been able to fully master the technology."

"What effects?"

"Well, sir, it's been shown that frequencies between one and eight Hertz can have detrimental effects on the human body. It's a resonant frequency, interacting negatively with natural systems. Effects are most prominent on the inner ear, which affects balance. Higher levels can result in disorientation, nausea, digestive trouble, dizziness and vision problems."

"Sounds like us." Jack grimaced.

"Yeah, at seven Hertz, the effect can be directly on the brain's alpha waves. At this level, we're talking headache and fatigue."

"Is that as bad as it gets?"

There was a pause. "No, sir." Carter sighed. "Higher frequencies can produce the effects Teal'c outlined. "There are rumours of infrasound weapons tests that resulted in the subject's heart literally exploding in their chest."

Jack scratched his head. "Sweet." Daniel looked up and raised his eyebrows with a small grin. "And, how do we stop this? Plug our ears?"

He could almost picture Carter and Fulton exchanging glances and then Carter's swift shake of her head. "No, sir. Low frequency sound isn't a heard effect. It's vibration. Covering our ears wouldn't stop it."

"So, what? We wait until our insides pop?"

"Go forward." Daniel said wearily.

"Makes sense, sir." Fulton agreed. "When this temple was populated, lethal sound levels would have killed everyone. This is probably nothing more than a sophisticated burglar deterrent."

"That's lasted all this time?" Jack was disbelieving.

"We're assuming, of course, that the temple is deserted." Daniel couldn't resist.

Jack made a face at him. "Thank you for that." Daniel shrugged. Jack clicked on the radio again.

"Alright, let's regroup. There's nothing-" Jack stopped and put his hand over his eyes.

"Sir?" Carter's voice rang out.

Daniel got to his feet and made his wobbly way to the Colonel. "Jack?"

"Gah." Jack grated out. Daniel dropped to his knees before he could get to Jack, catching himself with his hands before he hit the ground.

"It is becoming worse." Myomis stammered.

"O'Neill, my symbiote is becoming more agitated."

"Sir, I think that the sound is-"

Jack lost the thread of the conversation as the pounding of his head peaked. He was vaguely aware of Daniel slumping bonelessly to the ground before everything went black and he felt himself fall.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_

"Crap." Jack put his hands over his eyes. His head was spinning. He could feel the hard floor through his BDUs. The air had a stale, quiet feel, like a tomb long closed suddenly opened. He opened his eyes, looking up at the ceiling and then craning his neck backwards to look at the solid, windowless door. They were in a cell.

Groaning, he turned himself over and came nose to ear with an archaeologist.

"Haller." He gripped the older man's upper arm and gave him a shake. Haller started and then groaned, his body tensing as he came awake. Jack gripped the rough stone floor with his fingernails and hauled himself into a seated position. He patted himself down. Radio, gun and knife, all gone. He squinted and looked around. A bundle of tan camouflage caught his eye, and he grunted once and slid sideways.

As he got closer, the bundle resolved itself into two desert BDU clad figures. Carter had been dumped unceremoniously on top of Daniel. Neither was awake.

"Carter." Jack whispered the words as he turned to look at Haller. The archaeologist had spotted Fulton crumpled off to the side and was rousing himself to investigate.

Jack turned back to Carter and nudged her shoulder with his hand, trying again. "Carter." He was a little louder this time. "Carter, get up." Jack quickly grew impatient, shaking the archaeologist lying face down under Carter. He then gripped the Captain's uniform by the shoulders, trying to lever her off of Daniel. He was still too disoriented and twitchy to move her very far. "Daniel."

Daniel's body jerked and he came awake slowly. He'd lost his glasses again and from the look of the scrape running up one cheek and along his chin, he'd probably been dragged part of their trip to their new home. Seeing that, Jack took stock of his own condition. Skinned elbow and a throbbing knee. From the feeling of his shoulder, someone had hefted him by one arm and hauled him here, letting one arm and leg trail on the ground. He gave Carter a quick once-over. Her hands were scraped and her shoes were scuffed. Probably someone had held her around the waist and let her hands and feet drag.

So, their captors were probably stronger than normal and they weren't all that concerned with their comfort.

"Jack?" It was Myomis who answered, not Daniel. "What happened?"

"I think your buddy Pazuzu got us."

"Not my buddy, Jack." Myomis groaned and tried to turn over, belatedly realizing that he was pinned to the floor by the Captain. "Samantha?" He tried to twist around and pat Sam awkwardly.

"Haller?" Jack looked over at the archaeologist. He and Fulton were both upright and making faces. "Sergeant?"

"All good, sir." Fulton rubbed his skinned elbows and got slowly to his feet. He put out his hand and helped Haller up.

Carter grunted and woke as Myomis twisted underneath her. "Whoa." She made a face and pushed herself up into a seated position. Myomis put out a hand to steady her.

"Teal'c?" Jack looked around for their last team member. He was nowhere to be seen. "Teal'c!" Jack pulled himself off the floor and started looking around the cramped cell. "Dammit."

"He was with me when we fell." Haller made a hand motion, trying to convey what had happened.

"Myomis, wake Daniel up."

Jack was rewarded with a mildly annoyed raising of eyebrows as Daniel 'woke up'.

"'Wake Daniel up', Jack?"

"What?" Jack faked an innocent look. "You're up, it worked. Find Teal'c."

"And for my next trick." Daniel made a sweeping motion with one hand, like a magician introducing his act. He eased himself into a standing position and pulled Sam up after him.

Jack cupped his hands and yelled through them. "Teal'c!"

Daniel winced, putting a hand up to his temple. "Well done, Jack. That should bring him running."

Jack dropped his hands and swung back to his archaeologist. "What?"

Carter spoke first, restraining her annoyed tone as her CO ignored the blatantly obvious in favour of his often relentless optimism. "Sir, we're in a _cell_. Unarmed, in a _cell_. Teal'c's hardly going to be able to simply open the door and let us out." She trailed off as the door opened.

Teal'c stepped sideways and stood in the doorway, hands clasped behind his back. He gave a very slight bow. "O'Neill, I have come to free you."

Jack tossed Carter a smug look, and sauntered out the door. "Whoa." He ground to an abrupt halt, making Daniel collide with his back. The archaeologist grunted as Haller collided with him and the chain reaction spread.

"Jack?" Daniel squinted, obviously missing his glasses, and tried to see over Jack's shoulder.

"Uh, Teal'c? Friends of yours?" Behind Teal'c were a number of strange forms. Mostly human in appearance, they were short and stooped. Most had gangly limbs, longer than normal. Their faces were deformed and ugly with misshapen features. Some had scales and sharp teeth, while the skin of the others sagged grotesquely, like it had been made for a creature twice the size.

"They must be the results of Anu's experiments."

"Who is?" Sam called from the back.

"Hold steady, Captain." Jack muttered, trying to look non-threatening. Most of the creatures had swords, knives and wicked looking weapons with them.

"Kree." Jack's head jerked back as one particularly gnarled and twisted specimen shambled up to him and put the point of its knife under his chin.

"Kree?" Daniel asked, because Jack couldn't.

"They speak Goa'uld." Teal'c stated.

"Teal'c? You wanna ask your new friends to back off?" Jack took a risk and gave a dangerous-looking grin that had some of the more fearful creatures scrambling out of range. The aggressive one made a snarly noise and twitched the blade up. Jack gritted his teeth as the tip of the knife cut into his skin. Immediately, Teal'c hand shot out and gripped the creature's arm, pushing it down and away.

Teal'c spoke sharply in Goa'uld, causing a few of the more nervous creatures to skitter back, flinching.

"Teal'c, what the hell's going on?" Daniel had one hand at his temple, a grimace on his face, as the group filed out of the cell and into the wide hallway.

"Are you not well, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c answered the question with a question.

"My other half." Daniel shook his head, trying to be cautious about revealing Myomis's identity. "He wants to speak. We're kind of-" Daniel made a low grunting noise at the back of his throat and bent over slightly. The deformed creatures became even more agitated, chittering amongst themselves. "We're having a bit of a disagreement."

"That's it." Jack growled. He pushed away from his captors, turned to Daniel and, placing his hands on either side of the archaeologist's face, forced his head up. "I told you. Daniel's in charge. You _don't_ get a say. Now, stand down."

For a moment, they hung in balance, Daniel's face twitching with the struggle.

"Jack?" Daniel forced out between gritted teeth before closing his eyes and crying out, this time in real pain. Jack swore as Daniel's struggles stopped and his eyes opened again. This time, it was not a confused archaeologist who met Jack's harsh gaze, it was an infuriated vizier, who snapped off a few words in Oannes and pulled away.

"Humwawa. _Shedu_." He hissed at the creatures.

The creature who had threatened to impale Jack lurched forward, brandishing the long sword. Myomis stood straight as Jack was forced away by the others. It smirked at Myomis, running the edge of its sword along the curve of his throat.

"_Shedu_?" It gave a gurgling laugh. "_Wardum_."

While it might have found Myomis's initial defiance amusing, a second round of insults simply made the creature mad. It flicked the sword across the neck of the Oannes, cutting only the surface of the skin. As Myomis's hands flew to his throat, the creature snapped a fist forward and knocked Myomis to the ground, splitting his lip.

Jack and Sam both gave an outraged yell, but it was Teal'c's no-nonsense "Kree!" that brought everything to an abrupt halt. He and the creature exchanged some words before the creature slunk back to stand next to Teal'c.

Myomis curled upright, returning to a seated position, still spitting insults as the blood trickled over the curve of his lip and down his chin. As he took a breath, he wiped the blood away with his sleeve.

"Hey, shut it, _now_." Jack held up a finger as Myomis opened his mouth again. "Ah! No. Quiet." He held Myomis's gaze until the Oannes looked away with ill-concealed temper. Jack kept his eyes on the subdued man for a long moment before turning back to Teal'c with an exaggerated casualness. "You okay?"

Teal'c's head went up. "I am well, O'Neill."

"So... what's going on?"

"I have been accorded the status one would expect as the First Prime of Apophis." Teal'c's eyebrow went up.

"They think you're-?"

"Indeed."

"So, what are we?" Carter ventured.

"_Wardum_." Myomis muttered, looking away as Jack turned with one hand up, gesturing for peace.

"_Wardum_? What does that mean?"

"It means 'slave'." Teal'c finished. Myomis was now reduced to glowering at the misshapen creatures lurking by the wall.

"So," Jack summarized. "They think that you're Apophis's first prime, and we're your slaves."

"So it would appear, O'Neill."

Jack sighed and looked at the others. "Sweet." He looked back up at Teal'c. "I don't suppose that this is where they tell us that this has all been some big mistake, and we're free to go?"

Teal'c tilted his head. "No."

"Well then?"

"We are to be brought before Pazuzu."

"Pazuzu." The menace in Myomis's tone was obvious.

"Alright, you listen to me." Jack rounded on the Oannes. "We have no weapons. We're up against superior numbers who, by the way, can blow up our vital bits just by turning up the volume. I want Daniel back in the," Jack waved his hands. "In the driver's seat."

Myomis had his eyes locked on the lead creature and ignored Jack completely.

Jack was left with no option but to curse as they were prodded at weapon point and lead from their cell. While the others were guarded carefully, Teal'c was free to walk slightly ahead beside the lead monster.

"You two have any insights on this?" Jack whispered to Haller and Fulton as they clustered together, surrounded by the enemy on all sides. Myomis bore the worst of it for his earlier insolence. He growled almost constantly as he was poked and jabbed on all sides as his captors tried to keep him in line.

Haller looked around and then ducked his head to whisper. "Myo- _He_ called one of the creatures 'Humwawa'."

"Yeah? What's it mean?" Jack kept a steady watch. In front, blood was dotting Daniel's BDUs as the spear and sword points started to get a little more personal. Before he could say something, Teal'c threw a short glance over his shoulder and barked something in Goa'uld. Grudgingly, the lead creature called off his friends.

"Doesn't mean anything, sir." Fulton stepped in. "It's a name."

"Pazuzu's brother... possibly his son." Haller shook his head. "Judging from what _He_ told us and what we see here, Pazuzu may be continuing Anu's and Ea's genetic work."

"Well, practice is definitely not making perfect here." Jack tried a fake smile on one of the mutants, and got a spear-point in his bicep for a reward. He hissed and rubbed at the spot. It was bleeding slightly, but he would be fine. Nothing more than a warning blow. The growling in the front increased though and he looked up at Myomis who was half turned and looking back at him. The Oannes in Daniel's body was firmly in control. His pupils were dilated, almost obscuring the blue.

"Carter, what the hell's going on with Daniel?"

Sam shook her head. "Sir, I think the dopamine's acting as an aggressive catalyst. Janet was saying to the general that the dopamine could act almost like testosterone. It could produce strong emotions and make Daniel more prone to violence or excitability."

Sam cut off with a grunt as one of their guards struck her across the back with the lower end of his spear.

With a roar, Myomis was there, his clenched fist sending the creature flying backward. Teal'c turned, but before he could act, Humwawa's sword sunk into Myomis's thigh. It was Daniel, not the Oannes, who collapsed with a cry.

"Enough!" Teal'c bellowed, first in English and then in Goa'uld. Humwawa did the same, forcing his minions back. Jack stayed standing as Haller and Fulton crouched by Daniel. The archaeologist was gritting his teeth.

"Jack? What happened?"

The Colonel frowned. "Daniel?"

Haller looked up and then helped Daniel to his feet as Humwawa gestured for them to continue. "Daniel, you attacked one of the creatures."

Daniel shook his head. "No. The pain in my head. It was too much. I remember him pushing me back and then everything went dark."

Jack's face twisted. "Myo- He and I are going to have a long talk, and I'm telling you right now, his only words had better be 'Yes, Jack' and 'I promise, Jack'."

"Yes, Jack." Daniel imitated tiredly as Haller tied a handkerchief around his leg and they started back up.

"It's not bad, sir. He, er, Humwawa seems to have been somewhat careful. It probably hurts, but Daniel will be okay." Carter tried to reassure her CO.

Daniel put an arm over Haller's shoulder as they continued walking. One backward glance proved to Jack that Daniel was exaggerating the severity of his injury. Hopefully, with most of the attention now on him, the others would get a chance to act.

After another few minutes and shuffling their way down sandy, beige corridors, the party reached a pair of high wooden doors. They went from floor to ceiling, about twenty feet high in this portion of the temple. Unlike the rest of the decaying structure, these were brightly polished gold, inlaid with precious stones. Only around the edges could one see how old this structure truly was. In a few places, the gold had been damaged and started to peel back, revealing the wood underneath. In another century or two, even this last monument to the glory of the demon would crumble and fall.

Daniel looked up once, and then shut his eyes tightly and looked back at the floor.

"Daniel Jackson?"

"I'm fine, Teal'c." Daniel's voice was slightly strained. "I just don't think my friend needs to see that right now."

Jack's eyes snapped up to the door. A female form was outlined in the gold, on the ground with an avian form over her. The female had a canine head. Around her, the smaller bodies of young animals had been discarded.

"That's Lamashtu and Pazuzu." Sam said, her eyes meeting Fulton's. The younger soldier nodded grimly.

"Worse, that's the story of Lamashtu's defeat at the hands of Pazuzu." Daniel had his teeth gritted together.

Humwawa studied them for a moment before motioning for the doors to be opened. The lesser creatures put their shoulders to the heavy barrier and with a tortured squeal of long-ignored hinges, it began to swing inward.

Jack looked around and muttered softly, "'I want everyone on alert here. Haller, Carter, stay close to Daniel. Fulton, you've got our six."

The hall was wide and vast. The walls were made of rotting sandstone, the once strong stone wearing down to a pitted and crumbling façade. Here and there, statues had fallen to the ground and the group was forced to pick their way carefully across the floor.

Teal'c was the first to step forward, walking in with his head held high. Humwawa walked slightly ahead of him until Teal'c cleared his throat and brought the small monster back in line.

Daniel leaned on Haller and followed behind. Daniel's head hung and his eyes stayed on the ground. Jack met Haller's gaze and pursed his lips. The day Daniel Jackson walked into an ancient ruin and kept his eyes on the floor was a serious day for all of them.

Jack rubbed his nose. The scent of incense was becoming thick and cloying. As he paused for a moment, he was shouldered aside by Carter, who walked up and took her place next to Daniel. The archaeologist threw her a grateful smile, but her eyes remained fixed on the throne at the front of the hall.

Fulton kept to the back, casting an eye on the creatures following them.

Jack made a little jumping motion, trying to see over Teal'c's broad shoulders. This caused much panic among the creatures following them and Jack got a spearhead poked into his shoulder for good measure.

Finally they came to a halt. Fulton stayed as rear guard while Haller kept Daniel hidden behind Teal'c. Daniel's eyes were still on the floor. Jack moved to one side of Teal'c and Sam to the other.

The smoke from the burning incense was thick enough now to cast a blue pallor over the room. Now only twenty feet from the throne, Jack had to squint to make out details. Someone sat slumped in the throne, in tattered and dingy robes, surveying the prisoners.

Slowly, the figure rose. Around SG1, the creatures started to make a low humming noise and swaying from side to side. The soldiers started to cough as the smoke infiltrated their lungs. They were becoming disoriented, and dropping their guards, possibly a side-effect of whatever was in the smoke.

"Could this be any more cliché?" Jack muttered, wiping his eyes. He took an involuntary step back as he looked up and stared straight into the glittering black eyes of Pazuzu, who had evidently decided that a closer inspection of his newest acquisitions was warranted.

"Whoa." The creature looked to be stuck halfway between a human and Nem. His eyes were black and he had a full head of stringy black hair. His skin was a pale, almost luminescent white with heavy patches of scales running down his cheek and neck. His teeth were large and square, his breath foul.

Jack froze as Pazuzu's long fingers snaked around his neck, pulling him closer. The corrupted Oannes made an odd chirping noise and stroked his other hand down Jack's cheek. Jack kept his mouth shut as Daniel made an odd little gasping noise.

"Not now. You'll get us killed." Daniel's whisper was quiet, not meant for anyone but the alien intelligence residing in his head. Anything Jack said would only provoke Myomis and they could not afford that now.

Jack's attention was forcefully brought back to the creature caressing his cheek. He started to feel sick, a scratching sensation going up and down his spine. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a jewel in Pazuzu's hand start to glow.

Teal'c stopped it all with one bored sounding word and Pazuzu's hand slid down Jack's face and across his chest. Almost involuntarily, Jack shuddered. Pazuzu straightened up. When his stooped frame stood fully upright, he was almost the same height as Teal'c. He gave the Jaffa a look. Teal'c raised an eyebrow and lifted his head, meeting the challenge but not offering one of his own.

Pazuzu stepped back and around Jack, walking behind him. He kept up a high-pitched monologue the whole time. From the corner of his eye, Jack could see Daniel shifting from foot to foot, but the party stayed silent.

The demon leaned forward, sniffing at Fulton who clenched his jaw, but remained still. The young soldier had his back to Teal'c, still guarding their sixes. Pazuzu ran his hand down Fulton's arm with a chuckle as the man clenched his fists but gave no other response. He let his fingers glide across Fulton's stomach as he turned his attention on Haller and Daniel.

Jack's eyebrows went up as Sam took one step sideways and got between Daniel and Pazuzu, actually putting her shoulder into Pazuzu's chest and pushing him back. The creature's eyes narrowed and his deformed face ducked closer to Sam. Fulton shuddered as his skin started to crawl. Pazuzu was making a strange sniffing noise again.

Teal'c stopped things before they could go too far, putting one hand on Sam's shoulder and pulling her back in line. Everyone's head jerked up as Sam snarled some foreign words to Teal'c.

"Carter?" Jack asked.

"That was Oannes." Daniel's jaw dropped open.

Sam ignored them all, teeth slightly bared, eyes on Pazuzu.

Daniel hopped sideways as Pazuzu moved for Sam. Humwawa and his malformed soldiers grew restless, swords up. Haller swung his body, forcing Daniel to the side. Daniel gave a low-pitched growl, but was unable to compensate for Haller's movement due to his bad leg.

Haller's neck started to itch with dislike as Pazuzu drew closer, crowding in to his personal space. It seemed to correlate with the glowing of the gem in Pazuzu's hand. Perhaps it was a low-level version of the sound emitter. Daniel's grip on Haller's shoulder grew almost painfully tight as the archaeologist shut his eyes tightly and bowed his head.

"Not now." Daniel forced out between clenched teeth.

In one swift move, with strength beyond what one would expect from his frail frame, Pazuzu gripped Haller's shoulder and jerked the man sideways, grabbing Daniel by the arm as the younger man listed and started to fall. Caught off guard, Daniel's head snapped up and his blue eyes met Pazuzu's empty black ones.

The demon smiled and leaned closer, sniffing softly. He gripped Daniel's jaw and whispered one word.

"Myomis."

- - - - -


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Twenty-Two**_

Myomis's mouth turned up in a dark smile. Before he could say anything, Jack took a determined side step and got between Pazuzu and the archaeologist.

"Whoa, hold on there, wait." He put his hands up, trying to look non-threatening.

Humwawa made a weird sort of trilling noise, and jabbed Jack in the shoulder with his sword. Jack jumped back with a hastily-muffled curse. It was Teal'c who finally saved the day, digging his fingers into Myomis's shoulder until the Oannes winced.

Teal'c pushed Daniel forward until the young man dropped to his knees. The tone of the grunt as his knees hit the floor told Jack that Daniel had clawed his way back on top.

Teal'c spoke Goa'uld in a dismissive tone, shaking Daniel's shoulder. The archaeologist winced, but kept his head down, playing along with the charade. Pazuzu, still suspicious, stepped back and cocked his head.

Daniel hunched up, exaggerating the 'submissive' angle and muttered some words to Pazuzu, presumably an apology. Pazuzu and Teal'c spoke again. Pazuzu likely repeating his allegation that Daniel was Myomis, and Teal'c disputing it.

Finally, Teal'c said something that appeared to end the conversation. Pazuzu stepped back fearfully. As Teal'c nodded with satisfaction, Pazuzu smiled. The Jaffa turned away and Pazuzu struck, grabbing Daniel and pulling him close.

Daniel gritted his teeth as Pazuzu's long fingers curled around his throat and the deformed Oannes started to make that strange sniffing noise again.

This time, Pazuzu was disappointed. At another time, Jack might have laughed at the alien's quizzical look. He seemed genuinely mystified. Daniel returned his gaze. The archaeologist was a little wide-eyed, but showed no fear.

Teal'c motioned for Pazuzu to join him. The Oannes did so, releasing Daniel disdainfully. The archaeologist remained on his knees for a moment, rubbing his throat until Pazuzu had walked away. As soon as they were able, Haller and Jack stepped forward and helped Daniel to his feet.

Jack ducked his head in close and whispered. "What the hell was that?"

Daniel looked to the side at the creatures around them and then down to the ground. "Well, Pazuzu doesn't seem to like me much."

"Ya think?" Jack's eyebrows went up.

"Teal'c made me apologise for my earlier actions."

"You mean Fish-Boy's."

"Same difference at this point."

Jack simply nodded. What more could he say?

"Are you alright, Daniel?" Haller had something more to say.

Daniel nodded, his face tight. "I'm fine. I just really, really want this to stop."

"We'll do what we can." Haller gave Daniel's arm a light squeeze. Daniel stood up straight with a sigh, his long hair falling forward and hiding his expression.

Pazuzu returned to his throne, arranging himself on its pitted surface artfully. Unable to move very far, Daniel instead hid behind Teal'c. Daniel translated quietly as Pazuzu and Teal'c spoke.

"You have interesting pets." Pazuzu's glittering eyes travelled over the members of SG1.

"They are servants." Teal'c replied. "Of no further concern."

"I would arrange barter with your master. The female and the blue-eyed male. I could make use of their genetic material." Daniel's voice stumbled slightly as he translated, shooting a sidelong look at Sam.

Teal'c ignored the demon. "Why did you attack us?"

Pazuzu spread his hands, attempting to appear ingratiating. "We did not realise who you were. We are alone out here, our brothers and sisters long gone. Who would expect a servant of Apophis to grace our humble lands?"

"Apophis's reach extends into many realms. Why do you feel immune?" Teal'c smoothly turned the Oannes' words around, keeping him off balance.

"The affairs of gods are no concern of ours."

"And yet you style yourself as a god, do you not?"

Humwawa and his henchmen stirred angrily, muttering among themselves. Teal'c tilted his head and gave them a long stare. They quieted down quickly.

"Your master and I have similar goals." Teal'c's head lifted but he made no reply, forcing Pazuzu to take the next step. The demon stood abruptly and made a fist. "Perfection."

Pazuzu took a step down, off the throne and back to the floor. "Think on it, Jaffa. I seek perfection. Immortality of the body, combined with the perfection of the Goa'uld mind."

Teal'c panned his head slowly from side to side, taking in the forms of the creatures around them. "My master would find little profit in your research to date."

Pazuzu made a harsh noise, something like a giggle. "Pay no mind to these. They are bred to serve. My research proceeds well. I have the purest source. I have defeated my enemy and harvested our future from her bones."

Daniel grimaced and ducked his head. "Not now." He whispered urgently to his hidden passenger.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

Pazuzu grinned maliciously, showing off his crooked, blunt teeth. "Lamashtu." He rolled the word off his tongue. Daniel gritted his teeth, but fortunately didn't have to explain any further.

Turning abruptly, Pazuzu went toward a large, dark metal pot. He hefted the lid easily, stirring the contents with a poker. The smell of incense grew stronger. Pazuzu leaned forward and inhaled deeply. As he stood up, he reached into a small bowl and gathered up a handful of powder. Smoke billowed up as he scattered it onto the coals.

Teal'c was the only one to remain stoic as the smoke billowed out. Haller let out a muffled sneeze and Jack blinked as his eyes began to water again. Carter shook her head, attempting to clear it and Fulton started to shift uneasily. Likely spared the worst of it because of his allergy medicines, Daniel sniffled miserably, but made no other comment. The smoke had more than physical effects. It began to work its way into their thoughts, making them slow and sluggish. Trapping their plans in quicksand and eroding their natural caution.

"What of Lamashtu?" Teal'c finally ventured, hoping that Daniel Jackson would be able to keep his alter-ego under control long enough to hear the answer.

"Dead."

"By whose hand?"

Pazuzu shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Not by yours, then."

Pazuzu's lip twitched as the demon grimaced. "Dead now, and mine to use." He drew out the word 'use' obscenely.

Haller reached across Daniel's shoulders and swatted O'Neill lightly on the back. Jack turned and looked back at his archaeologists. Daniel had managed to translate the last line before his eyes rolled back in his head and he went rigid.

"No." Jack whispered harshly. "This is not happening now." Daniel scrunched his eyes shut and grimaced. He let out a sharp breath and his eyes opened. He met Jack's steady gaze and nodded rapidly.

Pazuzu swayed as he stood, taking deep a lungful of the swirling smoke. He grinned, his eyes unfocused, and waved them forward. "I will show you."

He put his hand over a stone pedestal and concentrated. After two false starts, the jewel started to glow. It flickered off and on, but eventually flared to life long enough to activate the hidden machinery.

Teal'c remained impassive, but everyone else, including Pazuzu's minions, took an anxious step back as the temple started to shake. Daniel limped sideways around Teal'c, curiosity finally overcoming caution, as the floor started to open up in front of the throne. Ancient machinery groaned as two panels popped up and split open, sliding along the floor until they revealed a large open space below.

A glass domed casket started to rise, billowing clouds of dust preceding it. Pazuzu cackled as the members of SG1 reared back. Only Teal'c stayed in place, leaning forward slightly.

"Oh yeah." Jack grated. "You know, a cleaning service can help with that." He coughed, waving a hand in front of his face. "Gotta talk with the little lady."

"What the hell?" Daniel breathed.

"Lamashtu." Pazuzu said with a sly look of satisfaction. Too distracted to translate, Daniel's eyes remained fixed on the casket. Haller was forced to step in and translate as Pazuzu continued.

"We have taken what we need from her. She who was my father's creation."

Jack acted without thinking, stepping up behind Daniel and slapping his hand over the archaeologist's mouth. Daniel tensed, fighting back Myomis. Jack's voice was harsh. "Concentrate. You get us killed here and we lose Omoroca for good."

Whatever good Jack did was undone as Pazuzu's followers swarmed around Jack and Daniel, pulling the colonel away and dragging Daniel forward.

Pazuzu stepped away from the casket, sniffing the air lightly.

"I knew." Pazuzu giggled as he drew near. Daniel was almost doubled over, bent at the waist by the creatures holding him. He was growling almost constantly.

Myomis, firmly back in control, snapped at the demon as he drew near. Pazuzu retaliated with a backhand that sent Myomis and his captors staggering back.

Teal'c attempted to intervene, only to have a circle of swords poke menacingly at his midriff. Jack moved sideways, only to have Humwawa's sword give him a warning slap with the flat of the blade.

"Who was she?" Pazuzu gripped Myomis's hair, tilting his head back.

The Oannes gave a guttural snarl before responding, "My wife." A huge roar began to swell up from the creatures around SG1.

"Dammit!" Jack swiped at Pazuzu as he hauled back on Myomis's shoulder. Pazuzu let go with a startled hiss, allowing Jack to drag Daniel him away from Pazuzu. "Teal'c! We need weapons!"

"O'Neill." Teal'c started to respond as Pazuzu's minions grabbed at his friends. "Our weapons are next to Pazuzu's throne." Jack craned his neck and saw the black packs and jackets in a pile next to Pazuzu's decaying seat.

"No!" Sam yelled as Pazuzu slipped forward and grabbed Daniel by the neck. The demon hurled him sideways, away from the protection of his friends.

Unable to support his weight on his injured leg, Myomis hit the ground hard, barely catching himself with his hands. He rolled quickly to the side as a sword came down, striking sparks where it hit the dark stone floor. With a snarl, Myomis kicked out with his good leg and sent his attacker, another one of Pazuzu's creatures, reeling backward.

"Fulton! Get the guns!" Jack launched himself at Humwawa as the creature attempted to skewer Carter from behind. Pazuzu went straight for Daniel. The archaeologist cried out as Pazuzu jumped on him, straddling him and grabbing for his hands. Myomis came forward, punching Pazuzu in the stomach as the demon drew an ornate, tarnished sword from a sheath hidden by his rotting robes.

Jack spun backward as Humwawa's fist took him in the jaw, sending him to one knee. He jerked out of the way as Pazuzu's henchman swung his sword, nicking his shoulder.

Teal'c took a step backward as four of the misshapen creatures tackled him. They were half his height, but strong and wiry. He picked one up and threw it, grimacing as a knife slid into his leg. Using one of the smaller creatures as a club, he started beating back his opposition.

Fulton dodged his opponents, even jumping over a few in his single-minded drive for the weapons and packs. He skidded to a halt as one particularly vicious looking creature reared up on spindly legs with a serrated sword raised over his head.

Fulton dodged the first blow, but tripped over a piece of broken stone. The creature cackled as the sword dropped.

"Daniel!" Haller yelled as Pazuzu struck the younger man across the face with his fist, dropping Daniel flat onto his back. Still straddling the stunned archaeologist, Pazuzu took his sword in a two-handed grip and prepared to plunge it straight through Daniel's heart.

Haller was in the middle of the soldiers, guarded by Carter. Ignoring his aching body's protestations, Haller left that relative safety and hurled himself at Pazuzu, knocking the demon over and sending both of them flying. Pazuzu was up first, and before Haller could defend himself, Pazuzu's sword sunk into his chest. With a gasp, the scientist went down in a crumpled heap, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Everyone paused for one stunned second. Fulton used the time well, slipping sideways as Teal'c hurled one of his opponents at the creature about to attack the younger soldier. The two creatures collided and fell to the ground. Fulton grabbed the ugly sword from the fallen attacker and chopped at another enemy, now only a few feet from his goal. He was pulled aside as he was tackled by yet another creature, only barely managing to maintain his grip on his sword.

Pazuzu gave a warbling little chuckle, returning his attention to Daniel. Myomis immediately roared to the surface again, spitting insults at the demon. Myomis made an attempt to get to his feet, only to be grabbed by Pazuzu's henchmen, his arms pulled back and held. He fought, but could not free himself.

Jack kicked out at Humwawa, growling as the ugly humanoid dodged easily. He tried to get to Daniel, only to have Humwawa's sword strike a glancing blow across his back.

His head jerked up at the sound of a woman's scream. His eyes found Carter in the mass of bodies. Rather than pain, she had yelled out in anger, her eyes wide and mouth curled up in a snarl.

As he watched, Carter grabbed one of the little creatures and broke its arm, taking the dirty knife from its abruptly lax grip. With a sudden spin, she all but decapitated one creature and eviscerated another. Her face was grim and she struck out seemingly at random but with devastating accuracy. Her eyes were fixed on Pazuzu.

Jack dropped to one knee as Humwawa kicked his leg out from under him. He launched himself forward, tackling the sly creature and driving them both to the ground.

Fulton struck out at another enemy attacking him, looking up as he heard Teal'c make a soft grunt. The Jaffa was still upright, with two of Pazuzu's creatures hanging from his neck, pulling him backwards. A third was aiming a sword at Teal'c's exposed belly, lining up to skewer the Jaffa.

Fulton forgot about the guns, throwing himself at the monster about to strike Teal'c. He returned the favour, the ugly blade sliding into the creature's soft flesh with an awful sawing sound. Teal'c used that distraction to his advantage, putting a hand over each of his shoulders and grabbing his attackers. In one swift move, he hauled them up and over, hurling them at the wall with a satisfying crunch.

Carter finally reached her aim, throwing herself into battle with Pazuzu. Sword rang against sword as the two battled it out. Carter swung and dodged, moving like a creature possessed while Pazuzu countered every move, fury on his face. Carter pressed every advantage she could take, forcing Pazuzu back almost to the wall. Pazuzu yelled out, his eyes flashing white before his attack redoubled.

Myomis doubled over, jerking out of his captors' grasp. He spun, punching one in the face, while the other grabbed him around the waist, pulling them both to the ground.

Haller groaned as he tried to move. Fulton met Teal'c's gaze, nodded once and ran over to his fellow scientist, standing guard over the stricken man.

Teal'c made his way through the crowd of attackers, kicking and punching as he tried to reach Daniel. Myomis and the creature were rolling around on the floor, each seeking an advantage. Finally, the creature punched Myomis in his wounded thigh, forcing a yell from the Oannes.

Carter fell back in the face of Pazuzu's furious counter attack. Her expression froze as Myomis cried out and then she stood firm and held her ground. As Pazuzu struck, she ducked under and then leapt forward and impaled the demon on the full length of her rusty blade.

Pazuzu's head snapped back and gave a high-pitched scream of denial. Rather than allowing her enemy time to regroup, Carter hauled the blade out, tightening her grip as the old metal snagged on bone and cloth. She plunged it in again, right through Pazuzu's chest, twisting it once as the dying demon grabbed at the blade. Gurgling, with blue blood running from his mouth and nose, Pazuzu made a little whimpering noise and collapsed to the ground.

Sam wrenched the blade from his hand and held it over her head with a triumphant bellow, shouting out a few words in that strange language again.

Heads whipped around as the creatures turned and saw their god crumpled at the woman's feet. Jack felt Humwawa stiffen beneath him and the agile creature hissed "Lamashtu." Humwawa twisted and hurled Jack away.

Humwawa stood shakily and approached Carter, seething mad. Carter lowered the weapon and took a ready stance, taunting the creature in his own language.

"Lamashtu, stop." Daniel spoke wearily from the ground. He was on his stomach, one of the creatures still sitting on his back with its claws sunk into his shoulder. His head sunk to the curve of his arm. The creature on top on him scrambled away as Carter came close, leading with Pazuzu's sword. As she crouched next to him, Myomis looked up. "Lamashtu, _ana behibek_." His eyes closed as he finally lost consciousness.

"I love you too." She whispered, before blinking rapidly and looking down at her blood covered sword. "Oh God." She looked back up and found Jack in the crowd. "Colonel?" She held her hands out, wordlessly seeking an explanation.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twenty-Three**_

Teal'c stepped forward, allowing Jack and Fulton to tend to Haller while Sam dropped to her knees next to Daniel. The Jaffa spread his arms wide and spoke in Goa'uld, gesturing to Carter and Daniel and back at the body of Pazuzu. Humwawa tried to deny whatever Teal'c said, but the Jaffa shouted him down.

Snarling and cursing, Humwawa gestured for the rag-tag remnants of Pazuzu's cult to follow and they slowly emptied out of the hall, leaving SG1 and the two archaeologists behind.

"Colonel? What's going on?" Sam's voice was confused, and the sword dropped to the ground with a dull thud and a splatter of blood.

For the moment, Jack ignored her, making his way quickly to Haller's side and touching his fingers to the side of the archaeologist's neck. "Teal'c, weapons. We need to go."

"Sir, I don't think that's wise." Fulton spoke up.

Jack turned on him. "What?"

The sergeant swallowed but squared his shoulders. "Sir, it's obvious that Humwawa and the others will return here the moment that we leave. We may have the only controls on the sound device. If we lose this place, we may lose any tactical advantage."

Teal'c shifted in place. "He is correct, O'Neill. We came here for a reason."

"We have wounded. Haller can't wait." Jack took a pack from Fulton and opened it, looking for medical supplies. "Carter." He looked up at his second in command. She was wide-eyed and stunned, blinking rapidly. Jack grimaced. "Carter!"

She snapped to attention, eyes tracking him. He gestured to Haller. "Help him. I'll look after Daniel." He let Carter's superior medical knowledge be used on the more severely injured man. They could deal with her declaration of love later.

Nodding, Carter quickly dropped to her knees by Haller, gently turning the wounded man. Haller groaned, his eyes flickering open.

"Ouch." He whispered, squinting his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Carter nevertheless opened Haller's shirt, reaching inside to probe the site of the wound.

"Ira?" Daniel dragged himself into a seated position.

Jack gestured for the young Sergeant. "Fulton, help out here." Fulton nodded and crouched by Daniel, checking him over. Jack loped over to the weapons, splitting them up with Teal'c.

"Alright, Teal'c. You and Daniel head back and get help."

"What?" Daniel twisted around. "No. I have to stay."

Jack held up a warning finger. "You're hurt, and not to point fingers but this is kinda all Myomis's fault. I don't want anything else happening."

"Jack, I have to be here."

"Dammit, Daniel! Look around." Jack took a step back, flinging his arm out, gesturing to the crumpled bodies of the dead and dying worshippers of Pazuzu. "We came, we saw, we destroyed, and your pal Myomis is the reason."

"Lamashtu was his wife."

"I _know_ that, Daniel. I also know that we were disarmed, surrounded and out-numbered and then your 'passenger' decided to start a fight, and Myomis, don't you dare say a word to me about this. Tell it to Haller."

Daniel stopped speaking, mouth slightly open. He turned to face Haller, still on his back with Sam working on him.

"Daniel, you go back with Teal'c."

"Jack." Daniel tried again.

"Daniel."

"You'll need a translator." Daniel spoke rapidly, rushing over Jack's words.

Jack stopped in mid-turn, turning back with an exasperated sigh. "What?"

Daniel hissed as Fulton probed some of his wounds with peroxide. He gritted his teeth and looked back up at the Colonel. "You need a translator. Look, Jack, I don't like what happened here any more than you do, but like it or not, Myomis is the only expert here on Oannes technology. You send us home, you have no-one to translate it."

Cursing softly, Jack turned and looked around. It was a three hour walk back to the temple. Teal'c was wounded, so even his endurance wouldn't shorten the trip much. They could carry Haller out and lose their hold on the temple, possibly making the archaeologist worse or they could let Teal'c go and risk Humwawa regrouping and over-running their position. Jack made a face as he mulled it over.

He settled the strap of his gun in place as he made his decision. "Fulton and Daniel, you have 10 minutes. Take everything you can."

"Jack." Daniel began, only to be quickly waved off.

"We can't hold this position for long, Daniel. All we need is just one of those monsters to get their paws on the sound device and we'd be dead where we stand."

Daniel gave him a long, steady look, but ended up nodding. He couldn't deny the logic. He held a hand up and Fulton pulled him to his feet. Daniel winced as he put weight on his injured leg, but he hobbled over to the glass.

"We need an opening mechanism."

While the pair worked, Jack and Teal'c attempted a two-man perimeter. Sam worked on Haller.

"He's not too bad, sir."

"Not too bad for being skewered, you mean." Haller grinned weakly and closed his eyes.

Sam smiled and touched his cheek. She looked back up at Jack. "Sir, I've done what I can here."

Haller grunted and made a small motion, attempting to sit up. Sam leaned forward and pushed him carefully to the ground.

"I can help." He whispered hoarsely.

"Not like that. Rest." Sam was firm, rechecking the bandages.

"Haller, stay down. Daniel? Fulton?"

"We're trying, Jack." Daniel hopped to the end of the glass casket, looking for some sort of release. "I can't find a latch. Nothing." Frustration crept into his voice.

"There's this." Fulton touched a circular indentation on the top of the casket.

"A circle. Does it depress?"

Fulton tried a number of passes, finally grinding the pad of his thumb into the smooth glass depression. "Nothing."

"What about the hand device?" Sam looked up from where she crouched by Haller.

"What?" Fulton and Daniel spoke together.

"Pazuzu's hand device."

Fulton and Daniel exchanged glances. The sergeant nodded at Sam and cautiously approached Pazuzu's corpse. He knelt and carefully worked the metal hand-device free of the Oannes' long, twisted fingers.

"Ugh." He couldn't restrain a shudder. The Oannes' skin was already clammy. He walked quickly back to Daniel. "Now what?"

"Now we hope that you don't have to be a Goa'uld to use this thing."

Fulton placed the gem on the palm of the hand device on the depression. It fit perfectly, but nothing happened. "Maybe you do have to be a Goa'uld."

"No." Myomis finally re-emerged, shooting a wary look at Jack. "You must be Oannes." He held out his hand to Fulton. The Sergeant looked at Jack, and when Jack nodded his approval, Fulton gave the hand device to Myomis.

Myomis made a face, but slid the smooth metal over his hand. It fit onto the palm with the fingers sliding through rings, not the fingertip caps like the Goa'uld hand devices.

Myomis flexed his fingers a few time, settling the device comfortably. His brow furrowed and he concentrated on the glass casket. The device started to glow, the frosted glass reflecting back a muted blue light.

There was a brief grinding noise and then the cover of the casket slid open with a smooth hiss.

Myomis moved first, leaning in close. Jack kept his gun trained on the casket, Teal'c watched the area around them.

"No." Myomis whispered quietly before backing up. The movement was too much for his wounded leg and he fell backwards, Fulton slowing his descent but not stopping it.

"My love." He scrunched his eyes closed.

"Fulton?"

The soldier shook his head. "It's Lamashtu, sir… I think."

"Daniel?"

Wiping his eyes, Daniel nodded. "Oh yeah, that's Lamashtu."

"Daniel, what's this?"

Fulton took Daniel's hand and pulled him to his feet. Daniel held his breath and reached out, touching an intricate carving placed on Lamashtu's chest.

He let his breath out slowly. "It's the first key." He touched Lamashtu's neck softly. "God, she looks like she could just take a breath."

The Oannes woman's body was perfectly preserved. Daniel, Myomis simmering at the edge of his consciousness, touched her skin. It was pale, no hint of colour, as one would expect from an albino. Her hair was white, braided with semi-precious stones and jewels in intricate patterns. Daniel could even see the fine network of blue blood vessels running under the surface of her skin.

Far from being bestial in appearance, Lamashtu possessed a striking beauty. Her features were sharp, and her lips naturally curled up in a smile. Her body was slender and she was short. She'd probably give Janet Fraiser a run for her money.

"Lamashtu." Myomis was back, touching the back of his dead wife's hands with his lips.

"God." Carter blinked back tears.

Jack made a face, shifting from foot to foot. "Daniel." He spoke softly. "Daniel, we have to go."

Myomis touched his forehead to Lamashtu's hand and then forced himself away, Daniel back in the driver's seat. "Let's wrap her up."

"What else do we need?" Fulton looked around.

"Uh, we have Lamashtu and the key." Daniel pulled a blanket from his pack and wrapped it around Myomis's wife.

"What about the low-frequency technology?" Sam suggested.

Jack rifled through his pockets, withdrawing two grenades. "We destroy it."

"Sir!"

"Carter. We have wounded."

"Yes, sir." Carter's response was immediate, pushing aside her own interests. "Sir, I think we should take Pazuzu's body."

Jack frowned, looking between his second and the corpse. "Why?"

"Because he could have a sarcophagus. In fact, given how long he's been alive, it's almost certain he has a sarcophagus." Daniel finished Sam's thought.

"And?"

"And, do we want to leave a Goa'uld alive who practices genetic manipulation on his subjects, sir?" Jack swung back to face Sam.

Finally Jack threw his hands up. "Fine, whatever, let's just get going."

Daniel wrapped Lamashtu's body in a blanket and pulled it up over one shoulder, his hand wrapped around her legs. His brow wrinkled, drawing Fulton's attention.

"Daniel, you alright?"

The archaeologist shook his head. "She's so light. I just-" Jack took two steps sideways and was next to Daniel before the archaeologist finished speaking. Daniel cleared his throat and gripped Jack's shoulder. "Let's go." O'Neill supported Daniel while keeping his gun at the ready.

Carter staggered slightly. Pazuzu was tall, but so thin as to be almost emaciated. "Carter?" O'Neill called, bringing his gun up in preparation for their run to the gate.

"I'm okay, sir."

Teal'c moved into position to help Haller to stand. The man was breathing heavily, one hand over the wound in his chest. Since they were closer in height, Fulton stepped up to Haller and steadied the archaeologist.

Jack looked around. He was supporting Daniel, who was holding Lamashtu. Daniel was unable to defend himself, but Jack would watch over him. Carter had Pazuzu over one shoulder, her gun ready in her other hand. Fulton was assisting and defending Haller, and Teal'c was unencumbered, guarding their rear.

"Let's go." Jack put everyone in motion, letting the others lead. As he and Daniel got to the doorway, Jack let Daniel support himself for a moment and then pulled the pins on the grenades, sending them back into the temple. Grabbing Daniel's waist, he steered them both out into the open, clearing the temple as the grenades went off.

They were silent as they ran for the gate, moving as quickly as they could weighed down and injured. Twice they had to stop for Haller. Carter wanted to bring him back on a stretcher, but they had neither the personnel nor the time to spare. The civilian kept up a stoic appearance through the whole thing, leaning heavily on Fulton but not complaining.

It was a three hour walk back to the Stargate, so at their increased pace, Jack was hoping to have everyone home in under two and a half hours. They had walked slowly on the way out, taking their time. This time, they would be pushing it, knowing only a miracle would get them back before Humwawa rallied the troops. At Jack's shoulder, Daniel was limping along, eyes fixed on the ground, breathing harshly.

The group moved along as quickly as possible. After an hour, there was the distinctive crackle as the radios burst into life.

"Colonel O'Neill, the is General Hammond. Do you read?"

"Yes." Jack said softly. He pulled to a stop, surprising Daniel who hadn't heard the radio.

"Jack? What?"

"Hammond's calling." Making sure Daniel was balanced, Jack thumbed the switch on the radio. "O'Neill here, sir."

"Colonel, as arranged, we're checking in. How goes the mission?"

"Been better, General." Jack looked around. "Mission objective secured but we were attacked by superior numbers with primitive weaponry. We're walking wounded with possible pursuit. We're retreating to the gate now. We need back up and a medical team at the ready."

"You'll have it, Colonel. We'll be en route ASAP."

"Thank you, sir. We're on the main road that we saw in the UAV photos."

"Will do. We'll be there. Hammond out."

- - - - -

"O'Neill." Teal'c's voice rang out. Jack did not stop, he kept dragging Daniel forward.

"I know, Teal'c."

"Sir?" Sam panted.

"We are being followed, Captain Carter."

"Since we left." Jack grated out. "They're getting closer."

Everyone absorbed that in silence. Then, as if on an unspoken signal, everyone began to speed up. Daniel stumbled on his bad leg, nearly dropping Lamashtu. Jack grimaced as he wrenched his shoulder holding them both upright. Behind him, he could hear Haller stifle a groan, which turned into a cough. Sam's panting grew a little louder.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go." Jack chanted to himself, aware of the futility. The mob of creatures was closing in on them. They were still 60 minutes from the gate.

"They are coming." Teal'c warned, just as rocks and sticks started landing all around them. Behind them, the creatures started to make whooping noises, brandishing weapons. Jack grunted as a rock hit his shoulder, propelling him forward. Unable to help him, Daniel's leg gave out again, and this time, Jack could not stop them. Daniel dropped to the ground, losing his grip on Lamashtu's body. The archaeologist landed heavily, making a face but staying silent.

"Daniel, we have got to go."

"I can't leave her." Daniel gasped, reaching for Lamashtu's body.

Haller doubled over, coughing. Spinning around, Jack saw Carter stumble and nearly hit the ground. O'Neill readied his weapon. "Teal'c, Fulton, Carter… we make our stand here."

"Sir?"

"You heard me Fulton. We'll never make it back like this. We have to try to hold them off until reinforcements arrive."

He motioned them to take their places. There was no cover on the open road. They would have to defend from a completely open position. Even Daniel had his handgun out as he sat on the ground behind Haller. The older scientist was sitting up, leaning his back against Daniel's.

Everyone was ducking as projectiles flew around them. Screaming and gibbering, the monsters closed in on the group. Jack sighted down his gun, standing firm until they drew closer.

"Now!" He yelled, pressing down on the trigger. The creature's noises became higher pitched screams as they started to fall.

The four soldiers fired steadily, trying to keep the creatures at bay. Jack stumbled back as another rock got through, striking him on the forehead. Daniel was at his side before he could fully reach the ground. The archaeologist propped him up.

"Jack?"

Jack blinked his eyes rapidly, but was having trouble answering. Daniel lowered him to the ground and took his weapon. He got to his knees and started firing, just as Fulton took a large rock to the side and dropped to the ground. Daniel barely dodged a baseball sized rock aimed at his head.

They continued firing, killing dozens of the creatures, but more kept coming. Daniel lurched backwards as a stone hit his shoulder, numbing his hand. He bit back a cry and forced himself to keep a grip on the gun, firing into the crowd.

Sam wasn't as lucky, pitching forward as a rock struck her knee, knocking her feet out from under her.

Finally, only Teal'c was standing. Fulton and Jack were out. Haller was down. Daniel and Sam were both firing from a seated position and Teal'c was attempting to defend them all at the same time.

"It's no good!" Sam yelled over the gunfire. "They're going to over-run our position."

"There's nowhere to go." Daniel dropped Jack's gun, finally out of ammunition. He now only had his handgun since Sam had taken Fulton's weapon.

Teal'c was firing rapidly. Daniel and Sam were measuring their shots, using them carefully.

Realising that their prey was now almost helpless, the remaining creatures started to run forward, weapons at the ready. Standing their ground, the remaining members of SG1 faced them down, knowing there was no way to win.

"Here they come." Sam said, readying for the final rush.

Daniel nearly dropped his gun in surprise as the creatures did not rush them. Instead, they gave terrified cries and scrambled back up the stone road. He whipped around to see SG2, SG8 and SG3 approaching on motor bikes, flying over the old stone road at top speed.

Makepeace's SG3 gave whooping cries, scaring the creatures as they came around SG1, taking up defensive positions between the fallen soldiers and their attackers.

"Form a line, marines!" Makepeace bellowed. The soldiers stopped their bikes and took up their weapons, still straddling the bikes. They held off firing, taking shots only at those creatures still attacking them.

Ferretti's SG2 skidded to a halt, off their bikes before the engines had completely shut down. They and SG8 checked over SG1, Haller and Fulton, prepping them for the trip back.

"Colonel?" Ferretti dropped to his knees next to Jack, touching the side of his face.

Panting, Daniel finally lowered his weapon and turned back. "Ferretti?" He couldn't quite believe his eyes. "What the hell?"

"General sent us on bikes. Not much good on most the worlds we visit, but works fine here." Ferretti moved back as one of the members from SG8, a medical unit, knelt and took a closer look at Jack.

"What happened here?" He addressed Daniel.

"They- They were throwing things. Stones, rocks. One hit Jack on the forehead." Daniel made a little gesture, pointing to his own forehead.

Someone else crouched next to Daniel, putting a hand on his face and turning him away from Jack. Daniel brought up one arm defensively before realising that he was looking at one of the members of SG8. The woman ran her hands over his face and limbs, noting the blood and bruises.

"Can you stand, Doctor Jackson?" Her voice was urgent.

He blinked and looked back at Jack and then the ground around him. "I- I dropped her."

"Doctor Jackson? I need you to focus. Can you stand?"

Daniel frowned, concentrating. "Yes. Of course. I'm fine." He allowed the smaller woman to muscle him to his feet, finally remembering her name. "Kathy, right?"

She smiled at him, putting his arm over her shoulder. "Very good, Doctor Jackson."

"Daniel." He murmured, looking around. Sam was on her feet with a member of SG2. Ferretti was still helping Jack. Teal'c was standing next to Makepeace, firing on the creatures. Fulton was curled up by another member of the medical team. Two people were working on Haller, who was still coughing.

Kathy steered Daniel's attention back to her. "Doctor Jackson, we need to get back. I'll drive. Can you hold on?" Daniel nodded, his gaze returning to his team mates.

Kathy led him over to the bike, mounting up and pulling him on the bike behind her. He settled his arms around her briefly before sitting up.

"Wait, I can't leave her!"

Kathy turned. "Her?"

He gestured to Lamashtu's wrapped body.

"I have it." One of Ferretti's men lifted the small form and settled it on his lap as he sat on his bike.

"That one too." Sam called out from another bike, pointing to Pazuzu.

Ferretti and one of his men hauled Jack into a seated position. The colonel was just starting to wake up. Ferretti sat on his bike while the other man helped Jack up. Jack sat in front of Ferretti, so the smaller man could hold the colonel on the bike.

Haller was given the same treatment on a different bike. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c doubled up behind a driver from SG2 or SG8 while two remaining members of SG2 carried the bodies.

Ferretti revved his bike engine. "Colonel Makepeace! We're good to go!"

Makepeace looked back and nodded. "Marines!" He bellowed. "We're moving out."

On Makepeace's signal, the bikes roared into life and headed for the gate. The road was wide, but rough in places. With their passengers, the riders could not go too fast, however, they did manage to leave their pursuers behind quickly.

Daniel held on to Kathy's waist, resting his head on her shoulder. His headache was back again, and he was dizzy. Not the best combination for someone on a motor bike.

He opened his eyes as Kathy called his name. The bikes ground to a halt while Makepeace jumped off his bike and punched in the coordinates to Earth. There was a pause as the wormhole exploded out of the Stargate and then Makepeace entered in his codes on the GDO.

Everyone waited until receiving the acknowledgement before Makepeace yelled for the teams to go through the wormhole.

Daniel closed his eyes as Kathy guided the bike up the ramp and through the event horizon, back to the SGC.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twenty-Four**_

"Report, Doctor." Hammond flipped open one of the mission reports as Fraiser took a seat across from him. They were in Hammond's office. Fraiser and her team had been working on SG1 and their guest archaeologists for several hours and had finally reached a point where the doctor could take a long enough break to report to Hammond.

Fraiser shook her head. "They were very lucky. SGs 2, 3 and 8 sustained no injuries from the rescue mission. Their MRIs and post-mission examinations are almost complete. Of the members of SG1, Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Haller and Doctor Jackson are perhaps the most seriously injured. The Colonel suffered a blow to his forehead." Fraiser's fingertips touched her own temple. "He woke up, but has since been allowed to sleep, supervised. We want to give him some much needed rest. He has a number of milder injuries including several superficial stab and slash marks, and some deep bruising and scrapes"

"Prognosis?" Hammond frowned.

Fraiser smiled. "He'll be fine. We've stitched up the wounds that needed it. He'll be sore and… bored for a few days, but fine."

Hammond nodded, not yet at ease. "And Doctor Jackson?"

Fraiser shook her head. "He'll also be fine, but it'll take a little longer than the Colonel. He's badly bruised around the face and jaw. According to Captain Carter, he, or rather _Myomis_ took the brunt of the abuse."

"According to Doctor Jackson, Myomis and this Pazuzu had some history."

"Very ugly history by the looks of it. We haven't yet had a chance to debrief SG1 obviously, but what we know, Myomis was apparently quite difficult to manage."

"Is he responsible for this whole mess?"

Fraiser winced a little, disguising it with a headshake. "I don't really want to speculate at this point, sir."

"Alright. What is Doctor Jackson's full report?"

Fraiser lifted her medical chart and flipped it open to the appropriate page. "Alright. A deep stab wound on his thigh. Apparently a sword. Could have been very dangerous, but it looks like it managed to penetrate without much damage. He'll be limping for a bit, but fine. Bruises all over his body including some deep ones on his shoulder, multiple contusions on his face and head and a rock bruise on his upper chest. Multiple scrapes and cuts, some caused by impacts. A number of small puncture wounds and some nail or claw marks on one shoulder." Janet sighed. "It sounds bad and it looks awful but it's mostly superficial." Fraiser crushed the report to her chest and looked up at Hammond.

"Frankly, sir, I'm a little worried about the emotional toll on Daniel. I really want to know more about Myomis's reactions. From what Teal'c said, it sounded like Myomis and Daniel were battling for control. That loss of autonomy over his body combined with his injuries and those of his friends and of course, Lamashtu."

The General looked over at Fraiser. "Lamashtu?"

Janet nodded. "One of the bodies we retrieved. It was Lamashtu."

Hammond's fingers rubbed together, his only nervous habit. "His wife."

"Myomis's wife."

"Well, surely Myomis didn't think…?"

Fraiser shrugged. "Nem kept looking for Omoroca."

Hammond let that statement lead to silence as they both contemplated the blow to Myomis and potentially Daniel.

"What about the others?" General Hammond shook off the melancholy and brought them both back on track.

"Sir." Janet referred back to her reports. "Captain Carter has a deep bruise to her lower back and assorted other bruises and scrapes. Minor cuts to her arms and hands. She's showing signs of shock. Apparently she killed Pazuzu following a sword fight."

"A sword fight?"

"Yes, sir."

"I don't recall Captain Carter having any listed training in such weapons."

"That will probably have to wait for the debriefing." Janet waited for Hammond to nod before continuing. "Teal'c has a number of minor scrapes and cuts. He is currently in a state of kel-no-reem and his symbiote is healing his wounds. Like Doctor Jackson, he has a deep stab wound on his leg. It was somewhat more severe than Doctor Jackson's, and aggravated by the hike back to the Stargate. Fortunately, again, his symbiote is healing it as we speak."

"Good."

"Doctor Haller is in surgery right now with Doctor Warner. Initial examination revealed a deep stab wound to the upper chest. Doctor Haller is coughing, likely a result of damage to the muscles which makes the body over-compensate with other muscles and the strain causes breathing difficulties. It simply hurts too much to draw a deep breath, and this can cause even more strain."

"And the wound to the chest?"

"We're in luck there, sir. It appears that the blade glanced off the ribs and travelled down the side of his chest. Both short and long-term prognosis will be quite good in that case. Had the blade penetrated the chest, Doctor Haller would likely not have made it back to the gate alive."

Hammond shook his head. "Colonel Makepeace's report of their arrival onsite was…"

"I heard about it, sir." Janet said softly, sympathising with Hammond's concern for his people. She cleared her throat. "And Sergeant Fulton suffered some bruising, a few lacerations and one hard blow to the ribs. It appears as though he got hit with a rock there. He cracked a couple of ribs and he'll be pretty tender for a while, but no danger now."

"So, their overall outlook?"

"Fine, sir. Doctor Haller and Sergeant Fulton will take the longest to recover. Doctor Jackson should be back on his feet in a couple days and once Colonel O'Neill can stay awake for a full day, I'll be willing to let him go home. Captain Carter and Teal'c are already asleep, both in the infirmary now."

"That's very good, Doctor. I'll be able to debrief them in the morning?"

"That should be fine, sir."

"Thank you, Doctor."

- - - - -

"Jack?" Daniel blinked furiously, despite the dimmed lights of the infirmary as he was jolted from a sound sleep by a dream that quickly faded into nothingness. He retained enough presence of mind to keep his voice down. He squinted, his glasses nowhere to be found, and peered at the clock.

4 a.m.

Daniel smothered a yawn and looked around. Sam was fast asleep in the next bed, Fulton on the far side of her. Teal'c and Haller were nowhere in site. Daniel had vague memories of Janet sending Teal'c back to his quarters to complete kel-no-reem and Haller was still in recovery, away from the general rush of the infirmary.

Daniel winced. His face felt like Pazuzu had been using it like a volleyball and he'd been spiked one too many times. He turned his head at the sound of a groan. That must have been what sparked his dream and woke him.

He grunted as he got out of the bed and his bare feet touched the cold tiled floor. Thankfully someone had dressed him in scrubs and he didn't have to worry about vital bits of him being on display. He hopped carefully on one leg, mindful of the bandaging around his thigh.

Jack twitched in his sleep, muttering. Moving carefully, Daniel touched Jack's arm lightly.

"Jack." He whispered, shooting a quick look at Sam.

"Hrgh." Jack twisted away.

Daniel decided to be a little more forceful. He put his hand on Jack's shoulder and gave him a good shake.

"Wha-?" Jack came awake instantly, one fist cocked. Daniel put his hands up and took a step back.

"It's okay." He tried to smile, but regretted it as it tugged on his split lip. "You're okay."

"Daniel?" Jack dropped his fist and tried to sit up. "What are you doing?"

"You were… dreaming."

"Dreaming?"

"Yeah. Umm… talking in your sleep kind of dream."

"I don't talk in my sleep."

"Uh, yes you do."

"No, I don't." Jack injected just the right amount of indignation into his voice to mix perfectly with the disbelief.

"You did."

"Didn't."

"Did."

"Did not."

"Jack, I heard you. You woke me up."

"And you woke me up."

"And… what?"

"What?"

"You said…"

"And you woke me up."

"Jack-"

Jack held one finger up to his lips, silencing Daniel, who looked guiltily backward at a still sleeping Carter.

Jack turned on his side and curled up. "Go to bed Daniel. You look like hell."

Despite the ache, Daniel managed to give a little smile, backing off and leaving Jack to sleep. Within seconds, Jack had tucked his chin up against his chest and his fingers under his arms and fallen back asleep.

Daniel watched him for a moment before turning and grabbing a robe from the end of the bed. He draped it over his shoulders since he couldn't put it on over the IV line. He found his glasses in a cabinet drawer, along with a pair of slippers. Manoeuvring was made especially difficult by the IV. Abandoning the idea of crutches, Daniel used the IV stand to help keep him upright.

Taking one last look at his team-mates, he limped carefully out of the infirmary.

- - - - -

Daniel sighed as he sat down at his desk. A short walk around the base had done nothing to help make him sleepy, especially with a wounded leg. He finally retreated to the comfort and familiarity of his office. He felt the slightest touch of pressure behind his eyes and gave a grim smile.

"I knew this was coming."

"Daniel."

There were times when it would be convenient for Daniel if Myomis could speak to him internally. Despite their shared body and shared mind, they could not share memories and thoughts. Myomis was still forced to communicate with Daniel verbally, making it look as though Daniel was not only talking to himself, but carrying on a multi-lingual discussion.

Daniel sighed again, resting his head on his hands. "Myomis."

"I… I must apologise."

"Well, I don't think it's necessarily me you need to apologise to."

"I must apologise to everyone."

Daniel paused. "What happened?"

Myomis shrugged. "It was Pazuzu."

"That's not good enough, Myomis. Do you think General Hammond's going to allow you back out there? Allow _me_ back out there?"

"He must."

Daniel pushed away from his desk and stood. "No, he doesn't have to do anything. You don't get it."

"Daniel, we must find Omoroca."

"No." Daniel looked at the door, but attempted to keep his voice down. "That's what you don't get. We don't _have_ to do anything for you. We're doing this for you because so far it seems like the right thing to do, but I'm not sure now."

He cut off as his headache spiked.

"Daniel, Omoroca is the key. We must find her."

"No!" Daniel's voice was hoarse with effort and he tried to breathe through the pain. "This… this thing you keep doing, knocking me out of my own body. It's like you're a Goa'uld. What makes you-"

"I am not a Goa'uld."

Daniel groaned as his knees hit the floor. He put one hand to his forehead. "What's the difference? You're in my mind. You take control whenever you want and hurt me when I fight you. Come on, tell me 'nothing of the host remains' and we'll go for the whole set."

The archaeologist gasped as Myomis abruptly stopped fighting him and the headache vanished. Daniel tilted his body backwards, resting his backside on his feet, still kneeling. Myomis was quiet. Daniel was just happy that the pain was gone, and let him think on his own.

"Daniel."

"Myomis. I know you're not a Goa'uld. I know you. Well, technically, at the moment, I am you, or you're me, or we're…" He trailed off. "Anyway, the point is, you need to, to, to relax."

"What will Jack do?"

"To you? Us? Nothing, I hope." Daniel groaned as he pulled himself upright. That last stunt had done nothing to help his sore leg. "But could you blame him? We were supposed to help. Instead, we started a battle. Do you know how many people were killed? Every time I close my eyes, I see those ugly, little bodies falling, one after the other." Daniel dropped back onto his office chair gratefully and then leaned back.

"They had Lamashtu." Myomis's tone was hard, unyielding. "They killed Lamashtu."

"I know." Daniel's voice turned soft.

"How do you know?" Now Myomis was mixing equal parts indignation and curiosity.

"My wife. She was taken by the Goa'uld. She is a host. We aren't as strong as the Oannes. The Goa'uld control her body almost completely. She-"

"Daniel." Myomis crossed his arms over his chest, hugging himself. Hugging Daniel. "I am sorry. You know very well."

"Well, you know what they say. Those who do not learn their history are doomed to repeat it. You are sort of my history." Daniel attempted a laugh, which end up as a little choking sound that fooled no one.

"I will speak to Jack. I will try to make him understand. I was wrong and I hurt you. I am sorry."

Daniel tilted his head forward. "No, I'm sorry. I understand what you're going through, my Sha're."

"My Lamashtu."

They sat quietly until Daniel spoke again. "Do you want to see her?"

His head bobbed upward. "I can do that?"

"Sure. Uh, I'm pretty sure. They probably took her to the, to the morgue."

"Morgue?" Myomis rolled the 'r' carefully.

"Yeah. A place to store- it's a cold place to keep people."

Myomis flattened his hands on the desktop and gathered his thoughts. "Okay. Let us go to her."

"Myomis?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Daniel." Myomis's voice was soft, arms automatically curling around his torso. "I am going to see the body of my wife, the woman I love more than life. I will never be ready for this." His voice broke on the 'never' and he finished the sentence in a whisper.

Daniel stood for a moment before taking control and limping out of the office.

- - - - -

Jack grunted and woke, looking around wide-eyed. He'd been having a nasty dream about charging midgets and a tall, skinny wicked witch. Daniel, in blue camo with ruby red boots, was dropping temples on the heads of flying monkeys.

He pressed his palms into his eyes as his head protested the sudden movement. Great. He loved concussions.

He frowned at the empty bed next to him. Growling under his breath he sat all the way up, flinging back the bed-covers. He found slippers next to his bed and draped a robe over his shoulders. Gripping his IV pole, he grumbled all the way out of the infirmary, in search of his missing team-mate. Daniel had probably gone for a walk. If he didn't run into him, the next logical place would be the office.

Jack didn't even want to entertain the thought of what he might have to say if it was Myomis forcing Daniel to run around in the middle of the night.

- - - - -

"Daniel?"

The archaeologist paused, one hand on the swinging door to the morgue.

"We're here." He reassured Myomis.

"I do not think-"

"You can do it." Daniel picked up as Myomis's voice trailed off. At any other time, the thought of someone catching him in a bathrobe and slippers arguing with himself outside a morgue at 4 a.m. would have proved daunting. Today, he had other things on his mind.

He walked Myomis through the door, over to the walls and the steel cabinets beyond. Daniel had to pause a moment, terrified that someday he would be here again… and it would be Sha're on the other side of those cold doors.

He ran his fingers over the cabinet doors respectfully. There were charts, some medical, some autopsy, in small hooks on each cabinet. He finally found the right one. 'Alien, female. Lamashtu.'

"We can stop whenever you need to. I'm going to step back from this for a bit."

As Daniel opened the door and slid out the white-wrapped body, he allowed his consciousness to drop back. They were still sharing, but Myomis was in full control and would make the moves.

Taking a deep breath, Myomis gently drew back the sheet covering the body of his wife. He pulled the sheet down until her shoulders and head were bare.

"No." He couldn't help himself. He knew she was dead. He'd carried her body back to the gate and touched her cold skin earlier. Yet, each time he realised it, it was like the first time all over again. A punch to the gut, a fist around his throat and a blow to the head all at once, leaving him sick, shaking and hurting deep inside.

He leaned over her, putting both hands on her cheeks, as if he could warm her. Take his life and give it to her. He spoke to her in the language of Oannes.

"I died so that you could live. I never wanted this. Why be alive without you?" Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling unnoticed down his cheeks.

He kissed her forehead, still as smooth and silky as the last moment they spent together. "What would you say if you could see me now, my love?" He smiled through his tears. "I would say that you triumphed. You kept our line safe. This is Daniel. He is our child, many years removed. He lives free, as we always planned to do."

Myomis reached down and took one of Lamashtu's hands, tucking it between his and holding it under his chin.

"Such a fierce warrior. Guardian of Anu, child of the New Century. You were a tool to my family, but you became the world to me. You are perfection."

He gave her still face a watery smile. "They called you 'demon'. I remember your joy when you found out that you were with child… _children_. Twins. Such a blessing. You are so small. It was so difficult and I was scared I would lose you. But you survived. Thrived. Conquered your fears and had two beautiful boys to show for it."

"My gentle wife. She who cared for me, guarded me and commanded me. Nothing more than a word or touch and I would obey. It was my joy and privilege. Always, it was a pleasure."

"Beautiful One. Perfect in form and in action. Your exterior was the least of your beauty. A sharp mind and a quick wit. Logic and reason beyond your years. Strong and challenging, sure and patient. All these things and so much more."

His voice broke again, but he continued on. "You were a proud General. My mother was right to have you command portions of her armies. You denied the Goa'uld, even those of our family, a total victory."

He shook his head, burying his face in her unmoving stomach. "You won." His voice was nothing more than a croak now, his throat tight. "You won. You defeated them and kept the children safe." He stopped to catch his breath, pulling away and straightening up.

"I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I will love you until my memory fades, and the world crumbles to ash." He gently kissed her lips and then her forehead, before rearranging her body and pulling the sheet up, over her head.

Finally, he retreated back, leaving Daniel in control once more. The archaeologist reached out and touched Lamashtu's face, now covered in cloth. "I never met you in this life, but I honour you and thank you for all that you have done." He spoke in English, trying for something that would be both comforting and formal. "You are a part of me, in so many ways and I will attempt to live up to your example."

He gave his distant relation a proper moment of silence, and then slid the body back into the holding container, closing the door with a dreadful finality. He paused and lifted his glasses, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his scrubs. Now he was tired, weary with an ache that wouldn't go away. Myomis's or his own pain? He couldn't tell, and at the moment, it didn't matter.

He leg chose this moment to remind him why wandering around half a day after being stabbed was a very bad idea and without warning, he felt himself begin to fall.

"Wha-?"

Two strong arms had gripped his shoulders before he could drop, pulling him upright. He looked up into concerned brown eyes.

"Jack?"

"Daniel." Jack's eyes flickered to the steel cabinets. "You okay?"

Daniel's gaze followed Jack's and he shuddered. "No. Not really."

"It's not Sha're. We'll find her." Jack squeezed his shoulder firmly.

Daniel found himself smiling, despite his dark mood. "I know that, Jack. I do." Abruptly he frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Jack's eyebrows went up. "Well, I woke up and we seemed to be one archaeologist short in the infirmary."

"So you came here?"

"Well… I actually went for a little walk, and then I tried your office. Only other place I could think of was here."

Daniel blinked rapidly. "We-"

"I know." Jack's hand tightened momentarily, his voice soft. "I know. Come on. Let's get you back before the Doc notices that you slipped away."

Daniel nodded, allowing Jack to steer him back toward the infirmary and the oblivion of sleep.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twenty-Five**_

The next morning found SG1 in the briefing room with Hammond, Fraiser and Mackenzie. Jack made a point to sit between Daniel and Mackenzie, allowing the other man a respite from the psychiatrist's inquisitive stares.

Haller was excused from the meeting, as he was not yet well enough to leave the infirmary. Fulton had also not joined the group, still looking somewhat worse for wear.

Hammond started them off.

"Doctor Fraiser has given me a complete report on your condition from a medical stand-point. Thankfully, you all seem to have escaped serious harm. I'd like to pick this up from your capture by the forces of the resident Goa'uld, Pazuzu."

He looked over at Jack, as the commanding officer for the trip. "Colonel, please begin."

Jack nodded, straightening the mission briefing folders in front of him. Nobody had yet filed a written report, so they were still using their original mission briefings as references.

"Sir. We were examining the temple complex from the outside. We radioed each other when we started to feel sick."

"Radioed, Colonel?"

"Yes sir, I split the teams up. Fulton and Carter, Haller and Teal'c and Daniel and myself."

"Sir?" Janet interrupted. "I gave Sergeant Fulton specific orders to monitor Doctor Jackson's health."

"Yeah, I did that for him." Beside him, Daniel nodded. Meeting Janet's gaze, Daniel rolled his eyes slightly, his sole commentary on Jack's diligence and his own opinion of the necessity of monitoring his every move.

"Thank you, Colonel. Please continue." Hammond clasped his hands together, leaning forward.

"Uh. Okay. Carter theorized that sound waves were causing our problems." Jack said this with supreme confidence, hoping no-one would ask him to explain it. Recognising the bluff for what it was, Hammond turned to Carter, motioning for her to continue.

"Yes, sir. Well, I think that Pazuzu and his followers have managed to develop some sort of sound weapons. There are examples of it currently under development for military applications here and overseas."

"And these 'people' acted with hostile intent?"

"Yes." Myomis spoke firmly, only to have Daniel wrestle back control and waver. "Well, no, no, we don't know that."

"Daniel, they knocked us out. Cold. Then they dragged us to a holding cell, beat the crap out of you, Myomis." Jack threw up his hands. "You. Whomever. That sounds pretty hostile to me."

"Jack, we're not entirely without fault here."

Hammond cocked his head. "Doctor Jackson? Would you care to elaborate on that statement?"

"Oh." Daniel's head swung back to face the General, mouth pursed in a circle. He looked at the others and then down at the table. Only Jack was close enough to hear the subvocalised, 'No.'

"Myomis made a reappearance." Jack clarified. "He proved a little… resistant to our way of doing things."

"Alright. Colonel, I want to hear more about that. Let's go back to the beginning though. The sound device knocked you out?"

Jack played for time, gesturing with his hands. "Well, we woke up as prisoners. They didn't attempt to interrogate us."

"You were left together?"

"Well yes, no." Jack's head shot up as he remembered. "Teal'c wasn't with us."

"Teal'c?" Hammond turned to the Jaffa.

"General Hammond." Teal'c took over the narrative smoothly. "I was only briefly rendered unconscious by the sound weapon. I woke before I could be taken captive. Having determined that the rest of SG1 were likely already captive, I attempted to maintain the façade of a First Prime."

"And they bought it?"

"While the inhabitants of Dilmun obviously understood the working of the Stargate, they did not use it at all. Consequently, they were unaware of recent changes in my position."

"But they were aware of Apophis?"

"Yes, General Hammond. The Babylonian Goa'uld maintained distant relations with their Egyptian counterparts. Many of the details have been lost, but the names remain."

"Then what?" Hammond focused his attention on Teal'c.

"After a short time, Pazuzu was satisfied that I was indeed in the service of Apophis. I requested that as a show of faith, he bring me my servants."

"Whoa. What?" Jack's eyebrows went up.

"Of course." Daniel nodded. Jack turned back to him. Daniel shrugged. "Well, it makes sense. Why would a First Prime be hanging around with a bunch of humans?"

"We're a nice bunch of humans." Jack said with a wounded tone.

"Well, of course." Daniel looked away with a slight smile.

"Teal'c, please continue." Hammond shot Jack and Daniel an indulgent look.

Teal'c tilted his head forward. "Yes. After only a brief discussion, I was brought to the prison cells. At this time, I observed the rest of SG1 had been placed in a large cell."

"What then?"

"Humwawa attempted to intimidate his captives."

"Humwawa?" Hammond looked between the members of SG1 intently.

Daniel put a hesitant finger up. "Uh, yeah. In the myths, Pazuzu often operated alone. In a few, more obscure legends, he was paired up with Humwawa. The stories alternately describe Humwawa as Pazuzu's son or brother."

"From the looks of things, sir, I'd say 'experiment' is probably closer to the mark." Jack said dryly.

"Quite." Teal'c nodded.

"General." Myomis broke through. Since Daniel didn't even blink, Jack assumed that the duo were getting along somewhat better, and that Daniel was letting Myomis speak. That alone made him feel more at ease.

Myomis had the good grace to look slightly ashamed as Hammond turned to him. "I was difficult." His head came up and he squared his shoulders, more reminiscent of the royal line he inherited. "I made the decision to challenge Pazuzu. I am responsible for my actions. All I could see was my wife, and this creature before me." Myomis's lip curled up into a snarl. Sam finally had to look away, not wanting to see such a cruel expression on Daniel's normally placid features.

Hammond looked back at Jack. "Colonel, I'm confused. What exactly happened?"

Jack made a noncommittal noise, looking at Daniel and then back at Mackenzie. His gaze lingered on Mackenzie who was thoughtfully staring at Daniel, scribbling notes on his ever-present book.

"Well, General, Myomis proved to be somewhat… volatile." Jack looked down at his fingers. "But, given the situation, I think that was something of a natural reaction." Distracted by Mackenzie flipping the notebook to a new page, Jack hurried through the rest. "But, in the long run, I don't think it makes a difference. We were in a fairly explosive situation. If they didn't go off on Myomis, then they would have gone after Teal'c for being a Jaffa or Carter for babbling on in that weird lingo."

"Excuse me?" Mackenzie looked up.

"What?" Jack swung to face the psychiatrist.

"What did you say about Captain Carter?"

"What?" Jack played dumb.

"Uh, sir, if I may?" Carter put her hand up like a little girl asking a teacher's permission.

"Captain." Hammond nodded.

"Sir." Carter squirmed in her seat for a minute, raising her head bravely. "I don't remember much of what happened. I certainly don't remember killing Pazuzu, and I've never held a sword in my life."

"Lamashtu." Every head turned as Myomis spoke. He met their gaze evenly, shaking his head to get the hair out of his eyes.

"What?" Carter's eyes widened.

Myomis nodded. "You have the memories of Lamashtu."

Jack's eyebrows went up and he looked back at Carter who shook her head. "Sir, I've never-"

"Never what?" Daniel asked, cutting her off before she could protest further. "You spoke to us in Akkadian, Sam. Can you speak Akkadian?"

"No. But I'm not-"

"Not what, Captain?" Mackenzie prodded. "Did you believe yourself to be Lamashtu?"

"No. I'm not crazy."

Beside him, Jack felt Daniel flinch and turn away. "Carter." He barked. "None of us are." He turned back to Daniel. "None of us."

"No-one is calling anyone crazy, Colonel." Mackenzie said soothingly. Daniel ducked his head and rubbed at his wrists, as if he still felt the restraints.

"Daniel. I didn't-" Sam spoke earnestly, reaching out to the archaeologist. Jack cleared his throat meaningfully, bringing everyone's attention back to Hammond.

"Alright, people. Let me see if I understand. Myomis was somehow instrumental in beginning this conflict?"

Everyone looked at the table.

"Sir?" Carter ventured. "Teal'c was attempting to manage the situation, but even so and without provocation, Pazuzu and his minions attacked and injured us."

"Conflict was indeed inevitable." Teal'c lifted one eyebrow and tilted his head back.

Hammond gave a sharp nod, accepting this for the moment.

"Humwawa didn't seem too fond of Daniel."

"Or of yourself, O'Neill." Teal'c clarified.

"Yes, sir, what exactly happened there?" Carter leaned forward. "Humwawa and Pazuzu were definitely targeting you two."

Jack put on his most innocent expression. "It must have been my winning personality." He pretended not to notice as everyone immediately looked everywhere but at him.

Teal'c finally broke the silence. "When we were brought to meet Pazuzu, he examined each of us."

"He made this- this sniffing noise." Daniel shuddered.

"He smelled you?" Fraiser sat up.

"Yeah. Just a few times. Liked the way Daniel smelled though." Jack pointed his thumb in Daniel's general direction.

"I've been thinking about that, sir." Carter shrugged. "Could the Oannes have an advanced olfactory sense?"

"Myomis?" Fraiser swivelled her chair to the side.

"Ol…?" Myomis trailed off uncertainly. Daniel reappeared with a slightly apologetic look. "A good sense of smell, Myomis." He supplied, before dropping back and allowing the Oannes to take over.

Myomis nodded. "We can sense other Oannes. This is just-" He held his hands up and shrugged.

"Perhaps pheromones?" Fraiser looked around the table.

"Pheromones?" Carter asked, cocking her head. She looked around at her team-mates

"Many insects release pheromones to assist in finding a mate. They are primarily sexual in nature, but the effect on higher level mammals like humans has not been investigated."

"Ah, sexual?" Jack's eyebrows went up.

"There- there was nothing sexual about that." Daniel looked back to Jack. "Was there?"

"There was not, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c explained, before O'Neill could respond. "I believe the actions of Pazuzu and Humwawa were based on antagonism toward the Oannes as a race, and not Daniel Jackson or O'Neill as individuals."

"But why?" Hammond pressed the point.

"Humwawa was Oannes. Oannes can find Oannes." Myomis said with quiet certainty.

"But Pazuzu was some sort of genetic mutation. An experiment." Fraiser was not convinced.

"As was Lamashtu." Myomis's tone warned Fraiser not to take that line of questioning too far.

"The point is." Jack interrupted. "Pazuzu must still have enough phero-whatevers to makes his spider-sense tingle and that's why he zeroed in on Myomis."

"Well, what about you, sir?" Carter asked.

"What about me?"

"Well, sir, Humwawa was certainly unhappy with you."

"He most likely wished to challenge O'Neill's leadership." Teal'c nodded sagely.

"Well, no." Daniel frowned. "You were acting as the leader."

"Leader of the humans, perhaps." Sam modified Teal'c theory.

Myomis clasped his hands together and looked at the table. He spoke softly. "Jack is Oannes."

"Yeah, I'm- what?" Jack turned his chair to face Daniel.

"Oannes. You are Nedu." Myomis stared at his fingers.

"Oannes? Wait… what? Nedu?"

"Well, that would explain Humwawa's reactions." Carter's eyebrows went up. Jack turned his disbelieving gaze on her. 'Well, sir, it's not horribly far-fetched. We're talking over 4,000 years of human history. Going back 4,000 years in anyone's family tree and there's probably some Oannes in there."

"You mean like you being Lamashtu?" Jack asked acerbically.

Carter winced but nodded. "Yeah."

"Weren't we led to believe that Nedu was a captain of the guards?" Mackenzie enquired politely.

Myomis nodded, wary.

"A _human_ captain of the guards?"

Myomis looked around, surprised. "Yes, but-"

"And now he's an Oannes." Mackenzie turned to Hammond. "General, I have to protest. I understand why you've indulged this fantasy so far, but this is really not healthy for my patient."

"What?" Daniel exploded. "I am _not_ making this up!"

"Doctor Jackson, no one is accusing you of being complicit in this. This is, in fact, far out of your control."

"Would you just listen to him?" Daniel snapped.

"I'm quite sure he will have a perfectly reasonable explanation for why a human being is suddenly the descendent of an alien who just happened to be human. There is always a logical reason. Unfortunately, this time the logic is not holding up. If you can look at it carefully, this could be a breakthrough."

"I am not insane."

"No, you are not." Mackenzie smiled blandly. "You are, in fact, suffering from a chemical imbalance."

"Well, what about them?" Daniel waved his hands to his dumb-struck team-mates. "They were there. They saw. Sam spoke Oannes!"

"And we have only your word for that."

"What?" Daniel was incredulous and reeling.

"General Hammond, I request that Doctor Jackson be returned to my care."

"No!" The word came from both Jack and Daniel. The colonel leaned forward, almost hiding Daniel behind him while Daniel shrank back.

"That is not necessary." Teal'c rumbled while Carter made a pained face, touching her fingertips to her temples.

"We all heard Carter speak Oannes." Jack started to get to his feet, only to have Daniel grab his arm.

"Colonel, Captain Carter, like the rest of you, was suffering the effects of a narcotic which, for all we know, was designed by the Goa'uld to produce precisely those hallucinations." Mackenzie spoke with devastating calm.

"What?" Jack slumped bonelessly into his chair, his voice a mere whisper, turning to Fraiser for confirmation. She looked down, before folding her hands on the table and speaking.

"It's true. We found traces of a drug in your system."

"I'm not insane." Daniel whispered.

"Of course you're not." Jack's voice was harsh, a glare sent in Mackenzie's direction.

"What drug?" Sam's voice trembled.

"We're still analysing it." Fraiser kept her voice calm.

"What is the origin of the drug?" Teal'c leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"We think it was the incense."

"The stuff what's-his-face was burning?"

"That could be it, sir." Carter shrugged. "Things really turned strange after he threw that second handful in."

"No, Carter, I'd say things were pretty strange before that." Jack drawled.

"Perhaps that would explain Captain Carter's behaviour." Teal'c said.

"That would be pretty neat, wouldn't it?" Daniel spoke softly, slumped in his seat, staring at his notebook.

"I beg your pardon?" Sam spoke quickly.

"You were drugged. You couldn't possibly have experienced anything like what I'm going through. You're sane. That just leaves me…" Daniel raised one hand and let it drop, unwilling to finish his sentence.

"Daniel!" Carter breathed, shocked.

"Alright, people. Let's bring this back under control. Doctor Jackson, you said Myomis could explain this whole human/Oannes dichotomy?"

Daniel stared at his hands.

Hammond tried again, gently. "Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel's head snapped up. Jack grimaced as Mackenzie made some notations on his notepad. "Uh, sorry." He made no move to answer Hammond's question though.

"Daniel?" Jack tried. "Hammond-"

"I know, Jack. I just don't know if there's any point. I mean, it's obvious how this is going to end, isn't it?"

"Dammit." Jack began, only to have Hammond cut him off.

"We'll come back to that." Hammond cut them off before things could escalate. "In fact, I think we should postpone this briefing for another day and give everyone time to relax." He sighed, and looked over at Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I would like you to speak with Doctor Mackenzie before you return to the field."

Daniel bit his lip before replying. "Why?"

"I'd like his opinion on this."

"I can tell you right now what his opinion will be." Daniel snapped.

"Doctor Jackson, I can assure you-" Mackenzie started, only to have Daniel turn away. Hammond spoke up to try to calm everyone down and everything started to spiral out of control.

"Doctor Mackenzie, I fail to understand how someone like yourself in a position of trust can be so blind to the possibilities that are out there." Daniel spoke earnestly, jabbing his finger in the psychiatrist's direction to drive home the point.

"Doctor Jackson, perhaps we can discuss this later in my office."

Daniel was on his feet before Mackenzie had fully finished his sentence. "And you can what? Drug me into compliance again?"

"Daniel." Jack stood as well, putting a hand on Daniel's arm.

"Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Jackson, I insist that you take your seats immediately." Hammond did not stand, but his posture was stiff and unhappy.

"I will _not_ be an experiment!" Jack's hands still lightly restrained Daniel.

"There was never any attempt to treat you as an experiment, Doctor Jackson. You are ill and you need my help."

"I'll take my chances." Daniel leaned around Jack.

"Daniel, God dammit! Sit down!" Jack pushed at Daniel, who held his ground.

"That is no longer your choice." Mackenzie's calm voice held just the slightest hint of triumph as he ignored Jack's words and spoke directly to Daniel.

"Doctor Mackenzie!" Hammond admonished. Daniel opened his mouth to reply.

"Khatu!" Carter slammed the palm of her hand against the table, snarling in Mackenzie's direction and silencing everyone.

"Lamashtu?" Myomis's eyes were wide with surprise.

Carter nodded, and smiled grimly. "Myomis." She spoke rapidly to the other man.

Everyone backed off as Myomis and Lamashtu spoke. Finally, she stuttered and closed her eyes. Myomis went around the table and dropped to his knees, gathering her in his arms, holding her close.

"Wha-?" Carter looked up, before pushing away from Daniel. "Daniel? I'm-"

The archaeologist stepped back. Without any real understanding of why, Jack stepped forward, keeping between Daniel and Mackenzie. Teal'c did the same for Carter.

Daniel met Mackenzie's assessing stare and spoke.

"Psychoanalyse _that_."

- - - - -


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_

After the disastrous debriefing the previous day, SG1 split up. Daniel and Jack went back to the infirmary to rest. Daniel slept, and Jack pretended to sleep, spending the rest of the day thinking instead.

Carter went to an ISO room to rest and where Fraiser could monitor her. She had slightly elevated dopamine levels and a headache. Nothing near what Daniel had experienced, but significant considering her outburst.

Teal'c retreated to his room and meditated, seeking a little peace after a hectic mission and an emotion-filled briefing.

They had passed the night quietly, not seeking each other out for comfort or to talk things over. Hammond checked in on each member of the team individually, only to be left feeling unsatisfied.

SG1 were not upset with each other, but they were caught up in events beyond their experience, beyond everyone's experiences. They needed time to process and then they would find each other.

The first step in the recovery plans was Hammond's mandate that both Daniel and Sam speak with Mackenzie. Taking up Daniel's challenge, Mackenzie insisted on seeing both of them. He had tried to get Hammond to include O'Neill and Teal'c on the roster, but for the moment, Hammond declined.

- - - - -

The next morning, Daniel had plodded his way to Mackenzie's office. For a mean moment, he considered letting Myomis take over the interrogation… no, session. Session. Mackenzie was being _helpful_. Daniel couldn't stop the sarcastic thought from whispering in his head.

He threw himself in the chair, as he and Mackenzie started their little chat. For 20 minutes, they discussed everything but what had brought them together. Mackenzie tried warming up to him with questions about how he felt, did he sleep well, and how was his day going. Daniel, well versed on the psychiatric profession, knew that these questions were simply a way of drawing him off-guard. So, he cordially and absolutely unemotionally responded with 'fine, fine, and fine'. Finally, the conversation petered out, and they were left staring at each other.

Mackenzie took the first step. "Doctor Jackson, I want you to know that I am keeping an open mind about this." He stared at Daniel over the rims of his glasses.

"Oh, I've noticed." Daniel said dryly. "Somewhere in between the restraints and the seizures caused by the Haloperidol, I was feeling your concern."

"Your hostility is obviously not without merit."

"Unlike your diagnosis." Daniel said under his breath, giving Mackenzie only an insincere smile in return. Finally, Daniel decided to take the offensive. "Why, exactly, is this so difficult for you to believe?"

"This?" Mackenzie asked.

Daniel leaned back in his chair and made a gesture with his hand. "This whole thing. Me. Myomis."

Mackenzie wrote a few notes. "For what it's worth, Doctor Jackson, I think I may believe you. Unfortunately, my personal desire to believe you cannot take precedence over my need to evaluate you professionally."

"Perhaps your need to keep things professional is clouding your judgement. Just because you can't write this up for the American Journal of Psychiatry doesn't invalidate what's happening here."

"I don't see-"

"No, you _don't_. That's the problem. This is beyond you and beyond me. Believe me, I know what it means to take that final step and accept a conclusion that goes against everything your peers write about and your mentors teach. I know."

"Doctor Jackson. This is not about me."

Daniel made a gesture with his hand, as if flicking away Mackenzie's denials. "Of course not." He sighed.

"But I will think about what you said."

"Well, thank you." Daniel was hesitant, wary.

"But, I want you to think about what I'm saying. I have to evaluate you before you are allowed to go offworld. I can only do that if you answer my questions. I need you to give me your versions of events. I'll make my evaluation from there."

Daniel sighed and hung his head. "Alright. Where do we begin?"

- - - - -

Jack sat in Daniel's office, playing on the computer. He had discovered a deep, dark secret. Daniel was addicted to word games. There were a half a dozen links to websites and some small game programs surreptitiously loaded onto the computer, hidden by the rather simplistic method of changing the name of the shortcut on the screen as only a linguist could do.

The 'Crossword Maker' was now 'Spatially Differentiated Linguistic Variables'. 'Scrabble' was 'Grid-Based Ethno-linguistic Patterns'. 'Logogriphs' was an anagram game. Jack had to chuckle as 'Corporal Punishment as an Offshoot of Written Miscommunication' turned out to be a little computerised version of 'Hangman'.

"D'oh." Jack grunted as his fifth poor man dangled from the noose. This time, he missed the word 'octopus'. He tried to tell himself that his heart wasn't in it, but it didn't work.

"I've never seen that before." Daniel's amused voice sounded from behind his right shoulder.

Somehow, the limping archaeologist had managed to sneak into the lab. Jack never should have left the door open.

He turned around and frowned. "Never seen what?"

Leaning on his crutches, Daniel pointed. "The whole," He waved his finger. "Hanged thing."

"You've never played the game?"

Daniel bit his lip. "No, I've played it. It's just…" He trailed off.

"Just?" Jack pressed.

"Just… never seen that screen before."

Jack turned back to the game and pondered it silently. His eyebrows went up as he got it. He spun back. "You've never lost?"

Daniel cleared his throat. "So, Janet released you?"

"Never?"

"What?"

"Daniel."

"Jack." The archaeologist's tone held a half-serious note of warning. Abruptly, Jack gave up and changed the subject.

"Free as a bird. Mackenzie set you free?"

Daniel didn't answer, engrossed in a batch of photos from SG8.

"Daniel?" He drew the word out, tilting his head.

"What? Oh it's fine. We're 'communicating'." He shrugged.

"Communicating?"

"Yes, Jack. We engaged in an exchange of ideas, the kind of things adults do." Daniel spoke with elegant sarcasm.

"And he didn't lock you up?" Jack grimaced as he spoke, regretting his words.

Daniel took it in stride though, looking down and around. "Apparently not."

"So, okay?"

"That will be up to Mackenzie and the general to decide."

"_You're_ okay?" Jack emphasised, indicating he didn't really care what Mackenzie thought.

Daniel got it. He gave a small smile and nodded.

"Good. Myomis, get your ass over here and sit down." Jack pulled a seat forward with his foot.

"Jack?" Myomis spoke, surprised. After the disastrous mission and the charged briefing, Myomis had been keeping a very low profile, trying to do his best to assure the SGC that he could behave.

"Sit."

"Better do it." Daniel shrugged, and then let Myomis take over again. Myomis made his way carefully to the chair and sat down, propping his crutches up against the wall. He looked tentatively at Jack.

Jack gathered his thoughts. "Alright. Here's how it goes. Mack gets to examine Daniel. Whatever. I know Daniel's good to go. It's you I'm not sure about." Jack pointed firmly at the Oannes who had the sense to look contrite.

"Jack."

"No, Myomis, don't 'Jack' me. You haven't earned that right. I need to know when I go out there that my team will back me up and they'll follow my orders. Daniel does," He waved his hands, searching for the words. "He does whatever he does, but when the chips are down, I can count on him to do the right thing. You." He pointed again, using two fingers. "You, I don't know."

Myomis looked down, digesting the information. "I understand, Jack."

"What do you understand?"

"I was wrong. I let my emotion take me. It put you in danger."

"Danger is part of this job. I resent being placed in avoidable danger. Now, maybe Pazuzu and his buddies would have attacked us in the end. Maybe. But you sure as hell didn't help."

"Jack." The Colonel paused, recognising the tone as Daniel. "I think he gets it."

"He better." He put aside the bantering and looked at Daniel seriously. "Are you guys good now?"

"Yeah." Daniel paused, wincing as his leg voiced a protest. "Jack? Are we-?" He gestured.

"Oh yeah." Jack stood up, groaning.

"Sure? Mackenzie-"

"Mackenzie says a lot of things, Daniel."

"But he still thinks-"

"And I still believe, you know."

"Really?"

"Don't you?" Jack was curious.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, but I thought-"

"I've always said that's your problem."

"My what?"

"What?"

Daniel stared silently up at Jack. Finally, he nodded and grinned. "I can explain, you know."

"Daniel, I don't need explanations. Sometimes you just go with your gut."

"What about the whole Nedu thing?"

"Okay, _that's_ a little weird, but I can work with it." Jack put on his best 'coping' face.

"We can tell you-"

"Ah! One thing at a time. I'm fine with you. Give me a few moments to adjust to me."

Daniel smiled again and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Sure, Jack. Whatever you want."

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Jack was back to his old expressive self. He waved over his shoulder at Daniel and left. Daniel stared after him for a moment before shaking his head and returning to work.

- - - - -

"Daniel?"

Myomis looked up. "Samantha." He smiled at her, stretching his back

"My- Myomis?"

"Do I make you nervous?" He shuffled his chair backwards with his good leg, staying out of her personal space.

"What? No. Of course not." Sam rebounded gamely.

"Daniel is thinking, but I think he wishes for us to speak."

"Oh. But he's still…"

"I'm still here, Sam." Daniel came back to her, grinning.

"Oh. Daniel."

"I have to admit, this two minds thing is kind of convenient. I've been working on some Aramaic translations from SG4 while Myomis translates some cuneiform. It's," He shrugged and started twirling his pencil absently. "Anyway. What's up, Sam?" Daniel leaned an elbow on his work desk and faced Sam directly.

"Genetic experimentation." Sam finally blurted out.

The archaeologist frowned, confused. "What?"

"I was doing some reading. After the briefing, I did some research. Nedu was human, right?" Daniel nodded slowly. "But, Myomis could tell he was Oannes."

"Yes."

"Genetic experimentation." Sam was wide-eyed with the thrill of scientific detective work. "I think that Ea, the Goa'uld who created Lamashtu, probably didn't limit his testing to the lab."

Myomis smiled. "Yes."

"I'm right?"

"Ea felt that all below him were nothing more than property. When Nedu was a guard, Ea gave him, uh, medicines."

"Gene therapy."

Myomis nodded slowly. "As you say."

"And this therapy possibly modified Nedu's cells so that they appeared to be Oannes, even though he was human."

Myomis grinned broadly. "You understand, Samantha."

"Yeah." Sam smiled slowly back. "Yeah, I think I do."

"And this is now not so strange?" Myomis asked carefully.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. This is still pretty strange." Sam looked down at her hands, still smiling, to take the sting out of her words. She looked back up, seriously. "Daniel?"

"Yeah, Sam?"

"What's going to happen to me?"

Daniel reached out and put his hand over hers. "I don't know." He said softly. "But it'll be okay."

- - - - -

"Teal'c!" Jack trotted the last few steps as Teal'c walked down one of the corridors. The Jaffa clasped his hands behind his back and turned his body slightly, waiting for the Colonel to catch up.

"Hey." Jack said, a touch breathlessly. "You're up."

"I am, O'Neill." Teal'c bowed slightly at the waist.

"You're all," Jack made an up-down motion with his hand. "All good?"

"I am well."

"Cool." Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at Teal'c. The silence started to stretch. Teal'c waited imperturbably, but Jack finally snapped. "So. Whatcha doing?"

"I was returning from my appointment with Doctor Fraiser."

"Ah."

They walked along for a moment before Teal'c stopped and looked down at Jack. "Is there something you need, O'Neill?"

"What? Ah, no." Teal'c nodded and started walking again. Jack stayed still for a moment, face working, hand flapping while he thought. Finally, he took the plunge. "Okay, maybe. Yes. Kinda."

Teal'c stopped and turned back again. "You are worried that Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter will not be able to maintain a professional working relationship after the events of Dilmun."

"I am?"

"Yes. Daniel Jackson carries the genetic memory of Myomis, and Captain Carter carries those of Myomis's wife, Lamashtu. You are concerned that this will affect their working relationship and thus the working dynamic of SG1 as a field unit."

"What?" Jack processed. "I am? I mean." He ducked his head and cleared his throat. "I am. Of course. Certainly." He trailed off and then looked back at Teal'c. "And?"

"And I do not believe you have cause for worry, O'Neill."

"Well, they were, you know… _together_."

"O'Neill, for Captain Carter to carry Lamashtu's memory and for Daniel Jackson to carry Myomis's memories, they would have to be descended from Lamashtu and Myomis, is this not correct?"

Jack nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Myomis and Lamashtu were a married couple."

"You see. That's the problem I had with it." Jack went off on a tangent.

"You do not understand, O'Neill. For Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter to carry those memories, they must be descended from Myomis and Lamashtu's children. The Oannes pass their genes along to their children, who pass them along to their children who eventually pass them to Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter."

"And that leaves us?"

"With two people who carry the memories of Lamashtu and Myomis because they are related to Lamashtu and Myomis… and by definition, they are then related to each other."

"Carter and Daniel?"

"Indeed. They will not be lovers, O'Neill. What they realise now is that they are, in fact, family."

"Oh." Jack relaxed slightly.

"And if you possess the memories of Nedu then you, like Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter, are part of that history and part of a greater story."

"You mean?"

"O'Neill, if Myomis is to be believed, you are the descendent of a great warrior and an important part of the mythology and culture of your world."

"Ah." Jack cocked his head and pondered. Abruptly he grinned, stuck his hands in his pockets and sauntered down the hallway. "Sweet."

- - - - -

"I've decided to let Mackenzie hypnotise me."

"You, you have?" Daniel leaned back, surprised.

"Yeah, I know. The Colonel thinks it's all hocus-pocus, but it really helped when you, you know, on Oannes."

"Ah."

"I studied it when I was at university. It's a valid-"

Daniel cut her off, waving a hand. "Oh, no, no. I agree."

"You do?"

"Of course. Why. Didn't you?"

"Oh, no. Of course."

"Alright." Daniel paused and let the silence drag out. "So, why? I mean, you used it before to help get rid of the," He made a circle with his fingers next to his temple. "False-"

"No. Not this time."

"What?"

"Daniel, I was scared in the briefing. All of a sudden I could hear myself saying these things and could only watch myself doing these things. It was like I had been taken by a Goa'uld."

"It's frightening. Myomis and I have had a few discussions about that very topic." Daniel spoke dryly, making Carter suspect there was probably something more to that story.

"Yeah. Daniel, I trust you. I believe you but-"

"But you saw what they did to me?" Daniel spoke softly, without condemnation. Despite his tone, Sam winced and looked away.

"God, Daniel. I never want to see anything like that happen again." She touched his forearm with the tips of her fingers. "I felt like I was failing you. I should have been thinking of something, testing, anything"

"Sam."

"Daniel, I'm sorry."

"Sam, I understand." Daniel voice was kind, and he smiled. "As bad as that was," He grimaced. "It probably kept me alive while Myomis and I got ourselves sorted out. If Fraiser hadn't kept my blood pressure under control then I probably would have had a stroke or something."

"God." Carter whispered again.

"But I don't know, this seems different for you. Have you had any dreams since you got back from Oannes?"

Sam thought about it. "No. Nothing I remember."

"Maybe Lamashtu is more…"

"Hidden?"

Daniel held his hand out, agreeing. "Hidden."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

Daniel grinned at Sam's sarcastic tone. "Well, maybe Mackenzie can help you push her, uh, deeper."

"What?" Sam's eyebrows went up. "No. Daniel, I don't want to repress Lamashtu, I want to bring her out more."

"You- you do?"

"Yes. She could help guide us through this whole thing. Daniel, I'm not afraid. You and Myomis have shown this can work. I'm only afraid that I'm not as strong as you."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Daniel whispered.

"I want Mackenzie to try to reach Lamashtu, and I want you and Myomis there to help."

"We shall be there for you." Myomis nodded, making it an oath.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven**_

"Alright, Captain, I want you to relax." Mackenzie began to lead Carter through the initial phases of hypnosis. They had made sure to tell Myomis what was going on beforehand, so he would not disturb the proceedings. He, Carter and Mackenzie were in the observation room. Fulton, Hammond, Fraiser, Jack and Teal'c all stood in the glassed-off section.

"I am right here with you, Samantha." Myomis whispered reassuringly. Sam smiled slightly and screwed her eyes shut, concentrating on the hypnosis. She let her thoughts wander around the topics of the Oannes and Myomis. Odd how Daniel's voice and mannerisms seemed to change. There were times she didn't need to hear Myomis's accented speech to know who was in charge of their shared body. Very odd.

Mackenzie had the lights slowly turning, and the tape recording of the ocean sounds provided a soothing backdrop. Sam focussed her thoughts back on the session. She had been nervous at first, but Daniel talked her through it. Her eyes soon closed and her breathing deepened.

"I want you to imagine a safe place." Mackenzie continued the litany of relaxation. "I want you to picture Lamashtu in your mind, Captain."

Sam's thought turned to the grotesque image of the dog-headed woman on Pazuzu's door. No, that wasn't Lamashtu.

"Helmet." She whispered, and it made sense.

"What are you seeing, Captain?" Mackenzie urged her on. She reached out her hand, and it was taken in a firm grip. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Daniel held her hand. She shivered as the thumb stroked across her knuckles and down the back of her hand. Myomis was there as well.

"Lamashtu was always pictured as having a dog's head. That's wrong. She wore a helmet like a Jaffa's armour. It was in the shape of a dog."

"Yes, the Pharaoh hound. Very popular dog in those times." Myomis nodded, tightening his grip briefly, raising goose bumps on her skin. "What more?" Myomis paused, conferring with Mackenzie before continuing on in a foreign language.

Not foreign.

Oannes.

"Rîmi-Lamashtu." Myomis whispered. _Beloved Lamashtu_.

"Rîmi-Myomis." She heard herself whispering back. She sat back in her chair, keeping her eyes shut, focusing her thoughts on the gentle pressure of Myomis's thumb on the back of her hand and rubbed gently up and down her skin, knuckles to fingertips.

"Lamashtu, immati?" _When are you?_

"Myomis?" Lamashtu started to push herself forward. Sam panicked briefly, pain spiking through her head.

"Let it happen, Sam. Don't fight it." Daniel spoke urgently to her. She allowed herself a brief nod, before Mackenzie stepped in again and helped to calm her down, guide her back.

"Lamashtu?" Myomis asked.

"Anâku šemûm." _I hear. _"Anâku šüpû." _I reveal myself._

"Nedu? Ennugigi?"

"Ennugigi šutalputum. Nedu naSbutum."

Myomis looked up quickly at the figures huddled in the observation room. Fulton translated haltingly. His grasp of the Oannes/Akkadian language was shaky at best. "She said that Ennugigi has been… well… she used the word 'killed'."

Jack cleared his throat. "And Nedu?"

"Nedu has been seized… presumably by the Goa'uld."

Myomis and Lamashtu spoke urgently for a short time. Mackenzie looked helplessly up at the group behind the glass. Fulton was hard pressed to understand.

"They're, they're talking about stars? I'm sorry, sirs, I can't keep up."

"That's alright, son." Hammond nodded. "We are recording this, are we not?"

"Yes, sir." Jack spoke absently, eyes still fixed on Carter and Daniel as they spoke urgently to each other.

Finally Lamashtu put her hand to her head and winced. With a muttered curse, Fraiser turned and left, medical bag in one hand.

"Ow… Daniel?" Sam blinked. Myomis immediately stepped back, allowing Daniel to come forward.

"Sam? It's okay." Daniel shifted his grip so that he was holding her forearm lightly. "You're okay."

"I saw… I could see everything, Daniel." Sam breathed. "Lamashtu said that we need to find Erkalla. Ereshkigal will know where to find Ennugigi." Daniel stood up and stepped away as Fraiser entered the room and started to check Sam over.

- - - - -

"Ereshkigal."

Daniel clicked the remote and showed an image from a Babylonian artifact. Hammond had given everyone two hours to gather their thoughts before calling a briefing. Sam's blood pressure was up and she had a mild headache. Like Daniel, she was under observation, but she was still keeping up, seated with Daniel at the head of the table.

"Also known as Allatu. She is considered to be the Babylonian equivalent to a God of the Dead, She is said to rule the Underworld from the great city of Erkalla."

"And this is the being to whom Captain Carter referred?"

"Well, yes. Although it would be more correct to say that Lamashtu was the one who mentioned Ereshkigal."

Hammond swivelled his chair and turned to face Carter. "What exactly did Lamashtu say to you, Captain?"

"And how was she able to say anything?" Jack asked.

"What?" Daniel looked over at Jack.

"Well, you and Myomis can't talk. How come they could?"

Daniel took his seat, sharing a look with Sam. "I don't know. That's a fascinating point though. Myomis and I have fully integrated personalities. Sam has Oannes memories but very little conscious interaction with her and you have Oannes traits but no personality."

There was a long drawn out pause.

"Daniel?" Jack drawled, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

"What?" There was another pause as Daniel played back the conversation in his head. "Oh. Well, no. Of course I-" He waved a hand.

"Of course." Jack dredged up a false smile and let the briefing continue.

"Actually, sir, I think Daniel may be right." Jack turned a dark look on her and she hastily amended. "Right about the Oannes manifestations, sir."

"How so, Captain?" Hammond asked.

"Well, I gave it a little thought, sir. The Colonel and I have only partial abilities. These may be the result of our time with Nem's machine. We know that he altered our memories to make us believe Daniel was dead. What if he also did a low-level scan of out minds, even just to check if we had any genetic traits that would be useful? This may have been enough to wake up any latent traits we had."

Daniel nodded. "That makes sense. I asked him to go further into my memories. Judging from the headache I got," He faltered momentarily at Jack's frown, and then cleared his throat. "Judging from the resulting, uh," He made a rolling motion with one hand. "From the results, I'd say he literally forced Myomis to the surface for one brief moment. I remember almost chanting something. I thought I was remembering a text or a translation. Maybe there was something else there. Whatever happened probably started this whole chain of events."

"Which then explains why you have the fully conscious memories of Myomis, and why O'Neill and Captain Carter have but scattered fragments." Teal'c nodded slowly.

"Exactly." Daniel grinned quickly, and shared a glance with Carter.

"So why didn't he," Jack ducked his head and searched for a word. "'Myomis' us all?"

Daniel pursed his lips and frowned. "'Myomis us all', Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"It is a valid question, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c cut them off. "At that time, the being known as Nem had us all in his power. If you are indeed descendants of his lineage, why would he not have taken the opportunity to probe all of us?"

"Oh."

"Maybe he didn't know." Jack supplied a possible answer.

"Sir?"

"Well, think about it, Carter. He zapped all of us and the only brains he sucks are Daniel's. Now, maybe it's just me, but if I was looking for my wife for 4,000 years, I wouldn't let a potential lead slip by. Maybe, like Daniel, the whole Oannes thing only manifested itself as a result of his machine and only after we got home."

"Maybe that's why we all smelled like Oannes to Pazuzu." Daniel hazarded a guess. "Just our contact with Nem may have been enough."

"No, I don't think so." Sam shook her head. "If that was the case, then Teal'c should have, well, tripped Pazuzu's alarms, but he didn't."

"People, I think we need to get back on track here." Hammond leaned forward.

Everyone looked down at the table and then back up the general.

"Alright, if I understand what's going on here, we have Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter and Doctor Jackson all showing signs of their Oannes alter-egos. Doctor Fraiser has expressed her concern. This meeting will help us determine how long SG1 will be placed under observation and placed on stand down." He held up a hand. "Not a word, Colonel."

Jack nodded and closed his mouth.

"Now, Sergeant Fulton is translating the recording of the hypnosis session. Until that time, can you fill us in Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel looked up at the General, and then quickly around the table. "Oh. Of course. Uh, well, much of what was said between Lamashtu and Myomis was of a more personal nature. I think that actually Myomis would probably be in a better position to fill you in."

"Very well." Hammond's gaze never left Daniel, nor did he look like this was anything but a normal briefing.

Daniel's posture straightened as Myomis took over. "I spoke with my wife, General."

"I understand that." Hammond's voice softened, recognising the pain in the other man's tone.

"It is just that she is-"

Teal'c reached up and clasped Myomis's shoulder lightly.

"We understand." Hammond gave the Oannes time to gather his thoughts.

"I spoke to Lamashtu. She said that when she died, Ennugigi had been killed."

"Fulton said 'destroyed'." Jack leaned forward.

Myomis paused and nodded. "Yes. But I do not know what this means. Nedu had been taken prisoner and, of course, I was dead."

"And this brings us to Ereshkigal." Hammond brought them back on track again.

"Right." Daniel nodded slowly.

"And what does the name tell us?" Hammond tried.

Daniel nodded again. "Absolutely nothing."

"Doctor Jackson?" Hammond sat back in his chair.

"I'm sorry, General, but it really tells us nothing." Daniel's voice began to betray his frustration. "Ereshkigal was the goddess of the underworld and the ruler of the city of Erkalla. Unlike Babylon, we don't have a real world parallel. There are no sites to excavate, no artifacts to trace. We don't have a Stargate address to research. There are no constellations. Unlike the other mythological characters we've run across, neither Ereshkigal nor Erkalla are featured in the constellations so that's a dead end as well. I cross-referenced some of the Sumerian names, like the various spellings and the Sumerian legends of Kurnugi. Nothing." Daniel threw his hand up in the air and sank back into his chair.

"Alright. Now." Hammond nodded. "I don't doubt your abilities in this matter, Doctor Jackson, but allow me a moment to ask a few questions."

"Of course."

"Now, this city of Erkalla has no counterpart on Earth or in the known gate system?

"No. Erkalla is a myth. Here, listen to this description from the Epic of Gilgamesh. '…He led me away to the palace of Erkalla, the Queen of Darkness, to the house from which none who enters ever returns, down the road from which there is no coming back. There is the house whose people sit in darkness; dust is their food and clay their meat. They are clothed like birds with wings for covering, they see no light, they sit in darkness. I entered the house of dust and I saw the kings of the earth, their crowns put away for ever; rulers and princes, all those who once wore kingly crowns and ruled the world in the days of old.' "

"Sounds like Minnesota." Jack said dryly. There was a long pause. Jack finally cleared his throat. "Well, what about that Kur… Ker-nookie?"

"Kurnugi is the Sumerian equivalent of Erkalla. Again, nothing. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a fairly extensive document, but nothing that leads us anywhere."

"What about Nem?" Sam spoke, but kept her eyes on her clasped hands.

"Captain?" Hammond turned from a clearly frustrated Daniel to Sam.

"Sir, maybe he can do to me what he did to Daniel. Maybe it will, I don't know, jiggle something loose."

"Jiggle something loose, Carter?" Jack leaned forward. "Have you forgotten that the last time Nem tried jiggling anything, he convinced all of us that Daniel was dead and he very nearly made that damn hallucination a reality?"

"I'm not crazy about the idea myself, sir, but-"

"But what, Carter?"

"But we're at a dead end."

"Captain Carter, we have been on Earth for only a short period of time. Surely Daniel Jackson and Sergeant Fulton can examine more options."

"To what end, Teal'c?" Daniel leaned his head back on the chair and closed his eyes.

"Daniel Jackson?"

"No, seriously. We were really lucky with the constellation for Dilmun and Pazuzu. That kind of luck won't hold. We're, we're grasping at straws, trying to comprehend a mystery that is beyond not only the span of our lives, but almost beyond the span of written history and most certainly outside the span of our world. This thing is like looking for a needle in a haystack the size of Jupiter."

"Alright, Doctor Jackson." Hammond's unflappable drawl calmed everybody down. "I can understand your desire to continue this and your frustration at this point. The fact remains that you and your team are recovering from injuries which-" Hammond put a hand up to stop Daniel's words. "Which are not as severe as they could have been, but are still a concern. Doctor Fraiser has not yet cleared you for offworld travel." He looked around the table. "Any of you. Doctor Mackenzie has not yet submitted his evaluations of Doctor Jackson and Captain Carter and," His voice rose, going from grandfatherly concern to pure Air Force General steel. "I am not satisfied that _any_ of you are fit to return to duty."

Jack felt his back straighten of its own accord. Carter did the same. Even Teal'c's head went a little higher. Daniel looked down at the table and nodded.

Hammond sighed and flattened his hands on the table, his voice returning to normal. "You have two days. Research whatever leads you can. Rest and recover. I expect a full written report from each of you and I will await Doctors Fraiser's and Mackenzie's reports."

"Sir." Daniel ventured. "If I may." Hammond nodded. "I'd like to request permission to return to Nem's planet." He spoke quickly, over-riding Hammond. "I understand how that sounds given Sam's request, but regardless of the technology, we have the body of Nem's daughter-in-law and Nem is a potential source of information. Whatever else is happening, both Myomis and Nem have some family issues to deal with and we do owe them some resolution."

Hammond looked steadily at Daniel for a short moment, his expression showing that he was clearly weighing Daniel's sincerity. Finally, he nodded. "You are correct, Doctor Jackson. Two days. I will not change my mind about that. Two days. After that, with the permission of Doctors Fraiser and Mackenzie, I will consider your request on a humanitarian basis."

"Thank you, sir." Daniel smiled briefly.

- - - - -

Daniel rubbed his eyes and reached for a cookie. It was morning on the second day and he was alternating between coffee and cookies. Fraiser would probably kill him if she knew. Between Myomis's love of pizza and Daniel's love of coffee and chocolate, he'd be lucky if he didn't gain fifty pounds by the time they solved this mystery.

He sighed. If they solved it.

He shoved the bag of cookies under a huge map of Egypt as Jack walked into his office. Jack had finished writing his mission report and stopped by Daniel's office to ask the archaeologist how his report was coming along.

"Daniel?" He cocked his head and paused as the archaeologist chewed quickly and swallowed.

"Jack?"

"Whatcha doing?"

"Researching."

"Researching?"

"Yes, Jack. It's why they hired me."

"Not your charming personality then?"

"That came free." Daniel turned back to his work.

They paused before Jack spoke. "Whatcha researching?"

Daniel sighed. "Well, nothing at the moment." He leaned back in his chair and gestured to the computer screen.

Jack cocked his head and read the email from one 'Doctor Winters'. "What's up with that?"

Daniel looked regretful. "That is an old colleague of mine. I need a paper he wrote but I can't find it in the literature. He presented a draft at a conference. Most of my academic memberships have been…" He looked down at his fingers. "Cancelled. Most of the academic community won't return my calls. I need that paper, it may point to some new sites relating to the Babylonian Goa'ulds but-" He made a gesture with one hand.

"But Winters won't help." Jack's voice abruptly turned serious. In a smooth move, he flipped back the map of Egypt, and grabbed the bag of cookies. He took three cookies, and handed the bag back to Daniel. Jack walked out, leaving the archaeologist blinking rapidly and looking slightly stunned.

- - - - -

Colonel Jack O'Neill walked down the hallway of the Archaeology Building, the hard soles of his shoes echoing rhythmically on the floor. He had left Colorado only that morning. Following his conversation with Daniel, he had made a quick stop by Hammond's office, outlined his plan and then left immediately on a special flight out.

He stopped in front of the door labelled 'Winters'. He was in his dress blues, hat tucked under his arm. He contemplated leaving his sunglasses on, but then decided against it. He needed to make eye contact for the full impact. He carefully slipped the glasses into his pocket and knocked sharply on the door.

"Come." A bored voice sounded. Jack opened the door and stepped through. Winters slouched behind his desk. He was dressed in the academic standard tweed jacket and casual shirt. He was in his early fifties, with sun-bleached hair and tanned features. "I trust you have an appointment?" The professor spared him the barest glance before turning back to his book.

"My name is Colonel O'Neill. I am here to follow up on a request made to this office by Doctor Daniel Jackson."

"Jackson, that quack. What's he done now?" Winters scoffed.

"_Doctor_ Jackson made a request. I'm here to pick up the paper he requested."

"Who are you again?" Winters was fumbling, realizing suddenly that this wasn't something to joke about.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill. Doctor Jackson is a civilian advisor to the Air Force on a classified project. I believe he asked you to provide a paper." Jack's back was ramrod straight, his posture impeccable. This was the hard-ass special-ops Colonel who ate new recruits for breakfast. Winters gulped noisily, but his curiosity was evident.

"So, Daniel works for you?"

"_Doctor_ Jackson." Jack stressed the name and gave Winters a hard look. "He is the head of his department, and the lead civilian advisor on the project."

"Doing what?"

"That is highly classified. Doctor Jackson reports only to the highest levels of government." That was laying it on thick, but not strictly a lie.

"Oh." Winters' voice was small.

"And as such, he does not have time to waste." Jack cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Oh. Oh, yes, Colonel. Anything I can do to help." Winter scrambled to his feet. He rifled through his filing cabinet, pulling free a thick paper. "Here. Here you go." He looked up and added a quick, "Sir." I'll also copy the file to disk for Dan- Doctor Jackson. Please let him know that I'm available if he has any other questions, or if he should require my help." Winters paused. "Or, if you need any help." He tried to wheedle his way into the Colonel's good graces, no doubt thinking of what kind of salary came with being a civilian advisor on a top-secret project.

"I doubt you have anything further to offer us." Jack managed to achieve the perfect mix of condescension and boredom in his tone.

"Well, obviously I do." Winters pointed to the folder tucked under Jack's arm.

Jack looked down and then back at the professor. "Yes. If I'm not mistaken, I was just ordered by the General to report here and fetch the report in person because you couldn't be bothered to return Doctor Jackson's call. The work we do is vital, and we can't afford to have the whole project held up by one man's temper-tantrum." Jack nodded his head curtly. "Good day, Doctor Winters."

He heard Winters swear softly as Jack pivoted neatly and walked out of the office. Once he was down the hall, Jack permitted himself a grin as he put his sunglasses back on.

- - - - -

Daniel leaned back in his chair, staring thoughtfully at the computer monitor, trying to make sense of his email.

This was an abrupt turnaround from that morning when he had explained the problem to Jack. Somehow in the last 6 hours, Winters had completely changed his viewpoint. There had even been an email in Daniel's inbox from Winters promising to assist in 'whatever way' he could.

He hadn't yet gotten around to replying to it, too bemused by the letter's sudden appearance to gather his thoughts. Finally, after lunch with Sam and Teal'c, Jack having mysteriously disappeared, he was back at work and typing out a reply.

He turned as the door to his office slid open.

"Jack?" The colonel sauntered in, looking inordinately pleased with himself.

"Daniel." Jack casually placed a thick document on Daniel's desk.

"What's this?"

Jack shrugged. "You said you needed it." Daniel picked up the booklet and read. Winters' paper. His jaw dropped.

"How?"

Jack began to look smug again. "It's all in the way you ask, Daniel. It all comes down to people skills." Daniel frowned as Jack turned sharply on his heel and left the office, snickering softly to himself.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight**_

Two days later, SG1 once again met with General Hammond. They were still walking wounded, battered and bruised with healing cuts and stabs. Under normal conditions, Fraiser would never allow them off world, but these were far from normal conditions. They had spent the two days resting and researching under Fraiser's strict supervision.

Sam was experiencing some of the same symptoms as Daniel and Myomis, but to a lesser degree. She was being monitored along with Daniel, although Fraiser had pointed out that Lamashtu was nowhere near as active as Myomis. She was willing to clear them for non-combat off world missions, but Fulton and Haller would have to stay behind. With that in mind, SG1 prepared a briefing and reported their progress to Hammond.

"Alright, people. What have you found?" Hammond leaned forward, looking around.

Daniel looked around, taking the silence to mean that he should go first.

"Uh. Okay. Well, not much. I've continued to research the Babylonian myths, hoping to find some indications of where Erkalla might be located." He shuffled some paper. "To be honest, I haven't had much luck."

"What about that Doctor… Winters?" Jack gestured as he remembered the professor he had intimidated.

"Uh, yeah. That was a very interesting article. Thank you both, by the way." He nodded first to the General, and then to Jack. "Unfortunately Winters only theorised that there may be more Babylonian ruins out there. He didn't point anywhere specific. He's been unusually helpful recently, but we still couldn't pin down any likely locations."

Daniel held up a stylised drawing of high gates and a stairway. "Some sources say that the Ganzir was a stairway in the city if Uruk that led to the Underworld. Some say that caves in the Zagros Mountains on the border between Iran and Iraq lead to the Underworld. Still others have the Hubur River flowing into the Underworld and leading to Erkalla. The fact is that unlike Ur and Borsippa and Babylon itself, Erkalla is a myth. It's like looking in the Bible for the location of the Gates of Heaven here on Earth. Or." He caught himself, clearing his throat. "More accurately, the Gates of the Underworld."

"Hell?" Jack leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"Well-"

"We're going to Hell?"

"No. Not in the traditional sense."

"Not in the… Daniel?"

"Jack?"

"Gentlemen, if I might." Hammond's voice brought them back in line. Jack nodded his head while Daniel leaned back. "Doctor Jackson, please elaborate on that."

"Okay. Erkalla is not Hell. It is the Underworld, a resting place of the dead."

"Like Limbo?" Sam guessed.

Daniel shook his head. "In common understanding, Limbo is a place where souls reside temporarily, either lost or needed to finish something. It's commonly believed to be a transient existence. In Limbo waiting _for_ something, or waiting to _do_ something. There is no leaving Erkalla."

"And you want us to go there." Jack's eyebrows were up.

"Well, we may not have a choice, and there is at least one story of someone entering Erkalla and being able to return."

"One person in four thousand years of history."

"Ten thousand years actually, Jack." Realising he wasn't helping, Daniel lightly cleared his throat. "But that's neither here nor there, I suppose."

"Thank you, colonel." Hammond put up a hand to stop Jack before he could speak. "He raises a good point, Doctor Jackson. Could this be a trap?"

"Sir, Erkalla is a myth. It's a way to explain death." Daniel leaned forward, gathering his thoughts. "It's like people believing the Earth is flat and that if you go far enough, you'll fall off the side. People didn't know what death was, and they try to explain it."

"However." Teal'c cocked his head and spoke. "Unlike this flat Earth myth, Erkalla is a real place and as Nem pointed out, Ereshkigal is also real."

"Yes. She was real. Four thousand years ago, she was real. She was portrayed as dangerous and temperamental and possibly a bit of a hypochondriac, but she was real. We have no clue if she is still alive now. We will be going in to this with our eyes open and prepared."

"Yes. Well." Hammond remained carefully noncommittal. "Tell us more about this one person who did escape."

Daniel looked around the table, gauging his audience. "Alright. As I said a few days ago, it is considered the place from which no one ever returns. Only Inanna, or Ishtar, was able to successfully negotiate her way out of the Underworld."

"But?" Jack heard the word Daniel left unspoken.

"But, she had to die herself and be resurrected."

"Die? How?"

"Jack, that's not really-"

"Daniel? How?"

"She was judged and found unworthy. Ereshkigal struck her down and hung her corpse from a hook."

"Eww."

"Myomis? Can you add anything to this?"

"General." The Oannes slipped back into control of Daniel's body. "I cannot. The tales of Ereshkigal served to frighten young Oannes, but I have never met such a creature."

"And this Inanna story?"

"That likely occurred after Myomis's time." Daniel replied. "Nedu is written as the guardian of the first gate."

Myomis took over. "And he had always served my mother. This must have occurred after the falling of Oannes."

"The fall." Daniel corrected quietly.

Myomis smiled. "Daniel teaches me much of your language. I still have some problems."

"Your progress is remarkable, Myomis." Hammond assured him. He turned back to the team. "Alright, Doctor Jackson has a dead end on his side. How about the rest of you?"

Carter shrugged. "I spent a couple days with the dialling computer. Although we have at this point explored only a fraction of the gate network and the Abydos cartouche, nothing matches any descriptions Daniel has been able to provide. Unlike Borsippa, we have no ruins or locals who can give us any leads."

Hammond looked at Teal'c. "General Hammond. I have spent some time with Myomis in the last few days, and we are attempting to catalogue the various Babylonian Goa'uld that I have learned of in my time as a Jaffa."

"It was very interesting." Myomis nodded.

"For all of us." Daniel finished. Their voices blended together now, slipping from one to the other without hesitation. Myomis's voice still had its distinctive accent and hesitant pace, but he and Daniel were clearly adapting to their 'living arrangements'. Sam shifted in her seat, wondering if she was facing a similar outcome.

Hammond turned finally to face Jack.

The Colonel cleared his throat. "I, um, did stuff too." Hammond frowned.

"Uh. What Jack means is that he went through the star charts and some of the mythology of the constellations looking for references to Erkalla and Ereshkigal." Daniel shot Jack a look.

Hammond's expression turned more forgiving.

"I take it that at this time you would like to restate your request to be allowed to go back to Oannes." Hammond leaned back in his chair.

"Uh. Yes, sir." Daniel looked over at him. "As I said before, Nem could be a valuable resource and we do have the body of his daughter-in-law in the morgue."

Hammond looked at each of them, considering. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. I have to admit, this is against my better judgement, especially considering that you are all still suffering the effects of your run in with Pazuzu, but I bow to necessity and to the fact that there are family considerations. SG1, you have a go to return to Oannes. SG2 will follow you and make a base camp by the Stargate. Should you meet with Nem, you will be accompanied by one of the medical staff who will monitor all of you. You have exactly two days to return to the base, have I made myself clear?"

Daniel frowned, processing. "Sir, I-"

Hammond's voice softened. "Doctor Jackson, I regret the necessity, but I need you to understand my position here. Nem is a lonely creature who kidnapped you once, and that was without knowing what he had. You possess the memory of his son at a time when he has lost the rest of his family." Hammond's gaze never wavered as he spoke to the Oannes within Daniel. "And Myomis, you have shown yourself to be trustworthy in some regards, but you have also shown yourself to be capable of controlling and suppressing Doctor Jackson when you choose." He put a hand up as Myomis opened his mouth. "I understand the situation, but I have an obligation to this team, this facility and the people under my command. While I realise that this situation is not of your making, you are a guest here. Doctor Jackson's wishes are paramount and he has duties and obligations on Earth, as do all of SG1. SG2 will accompany you and ensure that you return in two days."

"Sir." Jack attempted one last objection.

"That's my offer, Colonel. Take it or leave it."

"Ah." Jack pushed his chair back and stood up. "Taking, sir. Taking."

- - - - -

By the afternoon, they were geared up and in the gate room. Jack cast an appraising eye over their gear. Breathing masks and flippers, water-tight boxes with changes of clothing and various camping gear for SG2.

"Not often I get to play baby-sitter for you, Colonel." Ferretti joked.

"Don't let it go to your head." Jack shot back, with a grin. "You'll be sitting on a volcanic beach for two days."

"No life like it, sir." Ferretti dutifully replied, with a wink.

"We ready to go?" Jack looked over the assembled team.

"Just waiting on the medical person, Jack." Daniel fidgeted with his pack, trying not to look at the body bag on the gurney by SG2.

"They better get a move on, or they can play catch-up." Jack groused.

"I heard that, Colonel," Came the level voice of the Chief Medical Officer.

"Doctor Fraiser?" Sam smiled. Fraiser was in BDUs. She was checking over her equipment and stowing it in a waterproof box with more of SG1's supplies.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

"Wait. You're coming with us?" Jack turned and looked fully at her.

"Yes, Colonel. I am weapons and combat trained, as well as having a diving certification." Janet drew herself up to her full height.

"But-"

Daniel cleared his throat and stepped in. "But we don't normally send the CMO offworld, do we?" His voice went up, unsure, as he looked over at Jack.

"I think you will agree with me when I say that these are not normal circumstances." She gave them a bright smile that fooled no-one. "It'll be like camping, Colonel."

Jack's half-hearted attempt at a smile said everything.

"Colonel, I trust you are ready?" Hammond walked into the gate room as the gate began dialling up.

"Yes, sir." Jack was back to business. "Everyone present. Gear stowed."

"Good." Hammond nodded and then walked over to Daniel. He spoke to the Oannes, not to the archaeologist. "Myomis, there's never a good way to say this, but I feel for your loss. I can't imagine myself in your situation, especially given the losses you have suffered. Please accept my condolences for the loss of your wife, and pass along my regards to your father."

Myomis looked down at the General before placing one hand on his heart and bowing deeply.

Hammond cleared his throat. "Two days, SG1. SG2 will report in every 12 hours until that time. Doctor Fraiser has the authority to end this mission if she sees a medical need to do so. I trust you will all comport yourselves accordingly."

Jack felt his back straighten at the command in the General's tone. "Sir." He nodded sharply and stepped back. "SG2, take point and cover us. Carter, you and Teal'c take the gurney."

"We'll do it, Jack." Daniel spoke quietly.

"Daniel?"

"We are certain, Jack." Myomis assured him.

"Okay, Carter and Daniel take the gurney. Teal'c, you watch Doctor Fraiser." The Jaffa inclined his head, before bowing to Janet.

"Alright, campers. Let's move out." Jack adjusted the bill of his baseball cap and led the way through the gate.

- - - - -

"Ah, Oannes. How I missed the sulphur." Jack coughed a little, trying to clear his lungs. "SG2, set up base camp. Carter, any ideas on how to contact Nem?"

He frowned as his second-in-command remained silent.

"Sam?" Daniel stayed by the gurney, but called out.

Jack walked up to Carter and put his hand, up, stopping just shy of touching her shoulder. "Carter?" Her eyes were wide, fixed on one of the steam vents. Jack grimaced and then grabbed her shoulder, shaking her quickly. "Carter!"

"Daniel!" She spun around to face him. "Daniel's burning!"

"Easy." Jack nodded. "Flashback." He gestured in Daniel's direction. "He's right there."

Carter turned on her heel and stared at Daniel, standing by the gurney. He attempted a smile, but failed miserably.

"Oh God." She whispered. "It was so vivid. Just like-" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir. I thought I was over the flashbacks."

Janet slipped over to Sam's side, checking her pulse and flicking a pen-light into her eyes. "How long has it been since your last flashback, Captain?"

"Sam shrugged. I don't know. Days."

"Well, your blood pressure is elevated. I suppose we should have expected something like this here. Colonel, Teal'c? Any flashbacks?"

Teal'c lifted his head and crossed his hands behind his back. "None." He stated succinctly.

Jack shook his head. "Not recently."

"Alright. I'll be checking with you. I want you to tell me immediately if anything happens. Daniel and Myomis? How are you two doing?"

"I am fine, Janet." Myomis spoke, nodding once, slowly.

Daniel mimicked Sam's shrug. "Fine."

Fraiser was about to respond to that when the water off the beach began to bubble ominously. Everyone stepped back from the beach as a now familiar blue face rose from the water.

Myomis stepped forward. "_Abi_."

Nem walked out of the water and turned to regard the SGC members staring at him. His eyes rested on the gurney. "_Buhur_? What has happened?"

"_Abi_." Myomis managed again before his eyes filled with tears. Nem placed his hands on either side of Myomis's face, drawing his gaze upward.

"My son." Nem's yellow eyes scanned Myomis's face and body, turning to rest briefly on the body on the gurney. "My son. Would that this… never came to pass."

He drew Myomis close, and the memory in Daniel's body reacted, collapsing into Nem's arms. For a moment, he was no longer the Vizier of the Oannes… he was a broken-hearted young man looking for safety in his father's arms.

Jack caught himself watching, torn between wanting to help Daniel, and being forced to realise that the man in Nem's arms was not Daniel. And still, Daniel watched, stuck somewhere in there and no doubt contemplating his own mortality and that of his Goa'ulded wife. They'd have to talk later, even if it killed them. He grimaced, eyes returning to the body.

"Nem." He stepped up, not wanting to intrude.

"She fell… in battle." Nem stated flatly. Myomis sniffed and then straightened up, schooling his expression. He shook his head to get the hair out of his eyes and then stepped back, in control once again.

"Uh. Yeah." Jack looked at Carter and Teal'c. "How did-?"

"I am Oannes." Nem spoke as if that cleared everything up. "Come. We must discuss… these things." He touched his clawed hand to Myomis's cheek before approaching the gurney.

Teal'c took this opportunity to stand next to Myomis. The Oannes blinked rapidly and then Daniel was back in control.

"We will find her, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c assured the other man.

"I know, Teal'c." Daniel's eyes were fixed on Lamashtu's body as Nem lifted her gently into his arms.

"Wife of my son… daughter… of my heart. I return you to… the sea. To your… family." He carried her back to the water, looking out as a small craft rose from the waves. "Come. This will keep you dry."

"Captain, bring the swimming supplies along with our packs." Jack spoke quietly to Carter as Teal'c and Daniel made their way into the bubble.

"But, sir. Nem's offering us a ride."

"And if that is a one-way ride, Carter?"

"Oh." Carter's eyebrows went up. "Yes, sir."

Teal'c stood in the boat and assisted Fraiser as she stepped up, medical bag in hand. Nem, carrying Lamashtu's body, did not enter the craft. He chose instead to walk into the water, heading for the deeps and his home.

"Twelve hours, sir." Ferretti called out as the dome closed over SG1 and the bubble began to submerge.

- - - - -

It was a short trip to Nem's home. The bubble was more for convenience than necessity, but it meant that they didn't have to dry off and get changed, so everyone was grateful.

Once inside Nem's home, the mood turned apprehensive. They were there for information, but there was the very real issue of Lamashtu to deal with first.

"Listen, guys. Why don't we leave Nem and Myomis to sort this out first? Daniel?" He looked over at the archaeologist.

"Yes, Jack?"

"You going to be okay by yourself through this?"

Daniel opened his mouth, on the verge of making a comment about never being by himself, but stopped, understanding Jack's question. "I'll be fine."

Jack watched the body language change again, shoulders square, head up as Daniel retreated into his own mind. It still managed to creep him out when Myomis did that fully. The routine they had developed had neither of their normal characteristics developing fully and Jack could fool himself into thinking Daniel was in full control. Times like this…

"Sir? What do we do?" Carter shuffled from one foot to the other, acutely aware that Nem and Myomis were leaving to discuss the dead body of the memory slowly awakening in her own mind.

"We wait, Carter." Jack, sighed. "We wait."

- - - - -

Once out of the room, Nem reverted back to Akkadian.

"My son."

"Father."

Nem's hands touched Myomis's face. "I grieve for you."

"I should not have had hope, my father." Myomis's eyes closed.

"Thousands of years have passed, and yet I still search for your mother. Hope dies last in the Oannes." Nem paused, staring at his son. "For you, it has been only weeks."

"Weeks. I touched her face. It was as if she could have opened her eyes and joined me. Now I am left seeking a way to follow her."

Deep within his own mind, Daniel heard the words and a chill went down his spine.

"Hope lives." Nem rasped.

"Lamashtu is dead." Myomis bit back a sob.

"She lives in the woman."

Myomis looked up at his father. "Yes. But she hides."

Nem turned back to the machinery and spread his arms. "When I took the information from Daniel, I woke you. I could wake Lamashtu."

"Yes." Myomis's voice was hopeful.

"No!" Daniel burst out, grimacing as he battled Myomis for control. "Ungh." He touched a clenched fist to his temple. "Please, Myomis."

"Myomis!" Nem spoke harshly, reminding his son of his obligations to Daniel.

"Thanks." Daniel panted. "He's stronger than I am. But you can't do that to Sam. You can't do _this_ to Sam. Please."

"Am I so terrible?" Myomis asked softly when Daniel allowed him to take back control.

"No. God, no, but this," He gestured to his head. "This nearly killed us both, Myomis. I can't put Sam through this."

Myomis hissed softly through his teeth.

"Perhaps I should… return Myomis to rest." Nem spoke slowly, and Daniel could all but hear his heart breaking with each word.

"But you would lose your chance to find Omoroca."

"My mate is lost to me. My son's mate is lost to him."

"You'd lose Myomis." Daniel whispered.

"Perhaps you both… deserve better… than this."

"My father." Myomis closed his eyes and nodded.

"No. No, you can't." Daniel whispered, taking control and pulling away from Nem. "Nem, you know that my wife, Sha're is out there somewhere."

"Yes. And you will find… what fate Sha're."

"Yes. I will. I will find my wife." He reached up and touched the Oannes' shoulder. "I have been looking for her for less than a year. I can't imagine waiting thousands of years for a clue, a hint." Nem's ancient yellow eyes stared back at him. "And now you have that hint. That hope." Daniel whispered. "How can I take that from you?"

"Daniel." Nem's hand touched Daniel's chest, his clawed fingers resting just above Daniel's heart. "My son."

"We'll find her." Daniel smiled.

- - - - -

Two hours passed for SG1 as Daniel, Myomis and Nem remained locked away in another room. Teal'c attempted Kel-no-reem while Carter tried to explore the technological elements of the room without touching anything. Jack was not so discreet, pushing and poking buttons. He had found what was either a table or a bed which slid out of the wall, and something that produced a pale, grey slop which probably passed for food. Or grouting mixture. Fraiser was investigating it.

When Nem and a very pale looking Daniel returned, Jack was all but hanging off a yellow knob next to a door, trying some way to lever it open. He straightened up and cleared his throat.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah."

"You guys okay?"

Fraiser abandoned the goop and took Daniel's arm, leading him to the bed-thing. "Maybe you should lie down, Doctor Jackson."

Teal'c frowned when Daniel submitted wearily to Fraiser's request, seating himself on the bed without protest.

"Daniel Jackson, what transpired?"

"Ah, you know." Daniel lay back on the bed, one arm thrown over his face to shield his eyes. "Explained what happened. Talked Myomis into staying in my head. Held burial rites for my alter-ego's dead wife." He yawned. "Typical day."

Nem walked up to Daniel, touching his forehead. "What has passed?"

"Daniel Jackson was injured in the battle with Pazuzu."

"Pazuzu." Nem's voice went harsh.

"Didn't you know? I mean… Lamashtu…?" Carter began and then trailed off.

"My daughter is dead and… my son and _Akhu_-Daniel spoke only… of her passing. You… will tell me."

Jack cast a worried look at Daniel. Fraiser was bent over him and they were talking.

"Alright. What happened in there? What happened to Daniel?"

"Jack, I'm fine." Nobody missed the unspoken '_later'_.

The other members of SG1 looked around at each other. Finally, Teal'c took the lead. "After finding the tombs on Borsippa, we were able to locate a gate address carved into the wall of one of the tombs. This gate address led us to a world called Dilmun."

"The home of Pazuzu." Nem hissed.

"That is correct. At the time, we did not realise that Pazuzu was still alive."

"Alive?" Nem's neck scales flared and he drew himself up.

"Was." Jack held up a finger. "Was." He jerked a thumb in Sam's direction. "Carter killed him."

"Well, sir, more correctly, Lamashtu killed him."

"You, Lamashtu, whatever. The point is he's dead."

"How did this… come to pass?" Nem rasped, his breathing laboured.

"We were captured and held by Pazuzu's minions." Teal'c replied.

"And Hum… Humvee… Hum…"

"Humwawa." Nem put a world of hate into that one word. "He is dead as well?"

"Uh, no." Jack shuffled. "He got away." Nem hissed through his teeth.

"How was _Akhu_-Daniel wounded?"

"Actually we all were. Pazuzu was not very gentle." Carter looked down at her knuckles.

"What wounds?" Nem looked carefully at each of them.

Janet looked up from Daniel. "Stabs, cuts, scrapes, bruises. They are all hurt, but not badly. In fact, Teal'c's symbiote has already healed his wounds."

Nem stepped up to Jack, eyeing the purple bruise on his temple. "This is your wound?" He brought his hand up.

"Yeah. It's fine. Been worse." He broke off as a light flared out from the center of Nem's palm. "Whoa, hey now!" He jumped back, scrambling for his gun.

"Jack!" Daniel pushed himself upright. "It's okay."

"That was a hand device, Daniel."

"Yes, but it's safe." He closed his eyes and Myomis took over. "The Goa'uld steal their machines. Steal technology." Myomis looked for the correct word.

"They stole the Oannes hand device." Sam breathed.

"Yeah. It's a healing device. Also a defensive weapon. Packs a hell of a punch."

"Really?" Jack's voice went very level as he eyed Nem again. "How'd you know that?"

"Lucky guess." Daniel gave a half-hearted grin. "Let him heal you, Jack. Makes life easier for all of us."

"No, I'm fine. Really." Jack stepped back, allowing his gun to drop.

"Jack, just do it."

"Why?"

"Because I'm pretty sure he won't heal me until he heals you." Daniel's voice was amused.

"That's blackmail."

Nem gave a toothy grimace that probably passed for a smile. "Yes." He rasped.

"Dammit." Jack put the weapon down. "Do your worst."

"Should I not attempt… to do my best?" Nem asked, puzzled.

"Okay, now I know you've been learning English from Teal'c."

"Be still." Nem said quietly, concentrating on the hand device again. The light flared up and played over Jack's face. O'Neill closed his eyes and concentrated. The light felt warm, soothing.

"It is done."

"What?" Jack's eyes sprang open, surprised. "That's it?" His fingers crept up and he touched his temple gingerly.

"That is all."

"How do you feel, Colonel?" Janet called.

"Good." He moved experimentally, testing aching muscles. "Great." He looked back at Nem. "I'll take one."

Nem didn't reply, turning to face Carter. "Samantha?"

"I, uh."

"It's safe, Carter."

"Yes, sir." Sam straightened her shoulders. "Okay." She scrunched her eyes shut tightly.

Jack watched as Nem repeated the light show, this time on Carter. It lasted less than 30 seconds.

"It is done." Nem said again.

Carter's eyes popped open. "I- Wow. That's amazing. I feel great."

Nem nodded and walked to Teal'c. The Jaffa bowed his head. "I am well."

"The Goa'uld within… heals you?" Nem asked, cocking his head.

"It does."

Nem nodded curtly and walked over to Janet. "Are you in need of healing?"

Fraiser's eyes went wide. "Uh, no. No thank you. I'm the doctor."

"Doctor."

"Yes. The healer."

"You care for my son."

"I take care of him, yes."

Nem bowed low. "I have much… gratitude for you."

"Oh. No, no. It's what I do. I just wish I could heal them the way you do."

Nem turned to look at Daniel. "_Buhur_? _Akhu_-Daniel? I will heal you now."

"Thank you." Myomis whispered.

Fraiser stepped away, rejoining Jack, Sam and Teal'c.

"Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c spoke softly as the light began to shine from the device on Nem's palm. "What has happened to Daniel Jackson?"

Janet gave a little shake of her head. "His condition in general is not good. As well as they are adjusting mentally to their current state, the strain on Doctor Jackson's body is getting worse."

"Worse? How?" Jack grated.

"Well, the high blood pressure, for one. He's maintaining a constant pressure now, unlike the attacks he was having early on, but a constantly high blood pressure is as bad in many ways as a fluctuating one. There's also the effect of the dopamine. It doesn't have a direct effect on the health, but it affects the mind. He is less receptive to pain stimulus. He doesn't realise when his body's hurting like you or I do."

"So, he's not taking good care of himself." Sam nodded.

"And he's not eating or sleeping properly. He's not doing it deliberately, but he's flying on a permanent high of sorts."

"You mean he's drugged."

"Well, yes. You might say that. He's handling it as well as he can and both he and Myomis know how to look after themselves, but if they caught up in a translation or doing some work and nobody steps in to monitor them…"

"They will not stop of their own accord." Teal'c finished.

"And, it's catching up to them. Myomis also said that he and Doctor Jackson argued while they were talking to Nem. Fighting for control of the body puts their blood pressure through the roof and causes almost migraine-like effects."

"Which explains this." Sam waved a hand in Daniel and Nem's direction.

"Yes. We're treating his blood pressure as aggressively as we can, but we can't keep doing that. The potential side-effects can be as bad as the problem. To be honest, Colonel, if we can't resolve this, I'm going to have to ban Doctor Jackson from offworld activities."

"Damn."

The conversation ended as Daniel sighed and sat up.

"_Akhu_-Daniel. Are you well?" Nem placed his hand on the back of Daniel's neck.

"Yeah. I feel great." He held out his arm without being asked as Janet came up to him, holding the pressure cuff. Everyone watched silently as she pumped the pressure gauge.

Sam released a happy sigh as Janet nodded.

"Very nice. Your blood pressure is almost normal again." She held up a finger as Daniel swung his feet over the edge of the bed. "That doesn't mean you do anything rash. Just enjoy it."

"Yes, Janet." Myomis smiled and got to his feet.

"Come." Nem held out a hand. "Let us sit and speak more of this."

- - - - -

Over the next two hours, SG1 filled Nem in on all that they had discovered. The Oannes led them to a side room where furniture was arranged in a comfortable pattern. Like the rest of Nem's lair, it was decorated sparsely with odd coloured knobs and gadgets spread around the room.

"…and that brings us up to now." Jack held up a hand.

"We're kind of stuck." Sam shrugged.

"You seek Erkalla." Nem nodded.

"Yes, but nothing in the Earth references has any guides and Myomis knows nothing about it." Daniel leaned forward eagerly. "Do you know of it?"

"Ereshkigal was… a mighty queen… when Oannes was still on Earth."

"And she was on Earth?" Daniel was almost out of his chair now, leaning far forward.

"No. Erkalla was a place through The Deeps."

"The Deeps." Jack looked confused.

"The Stargate." Daniel slapped his palm on the arm of his chair. "In the original text of the Enuma Elish, it says that Nem was banished to 'The Deeps'. We were talking about this a while ago. I thought it might be a euphemism for the Stargate, or maybe for death." He looked around expectantly. "Death. The Underworld."

"So, this is Erkalla?" Sam frowned.

"What? No. No. Anything through the Gate is 'The Deeps'. What it means is Erkalla is a real place, though the Gate." He turned back to Nem.

The Oannes nodded gravely. "Yes."

Do you know its address?" Jack asked.

Nem turned to him, giving him a long look before closing his eyes and nodding. "I do."

- - - - -


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine**_

Welcome back, SG1 and SG2." Hammond stood at attention at the bottom of the ramp.

"Thank you, sir."

The General frowned. "Is there something…?"

"Sir?"

"You're looking better."

"Oh." Jack nodded. "Yes, sir. Nem, as it turns out, can heal. One of the few times we'll be coming back in better condition than when we left."

"I look forward to the briefing. You can all report to the infirmary. SG2 will report at 13:00, and then SG1 will report back to me at 16:00."

"Yes, sir. Come on Doc. You get to experience the joys of the post-mission physical from our side of things." Jack waved Fraiser in the direction of the infirmary. Her look back promised that her post-mission check up would be done just in time to oversee his.

- - - - -

At exactly 16:00, Hammond stood at the end of the briefing table. SG1 was seated around the table.

"I have debriefed SG2 and they advise me that Nem did arrive and take you back to his home. They report that their watch was uneventful."

Everyone looked at each other until Jack took the lead. "Yes, sir. Picking up from that point, Nem took us back to his residence."

"Major Ferretti reports that Nem had a vehicle of sorts."

"Something similar to a small submarine, sir." Sam nodded. "The system of control that the Oannes use is beyond me. There don't seem to be many controls, and what controls were there didn't always respond to my input."

"Certain systems can only operate if one is Oannes." Myomis said softly. "Safeguards to prevent theft or misuse."

"That explains the door-lock then." Carter nodded.

"Doors?" Hammond looked around.

"In Nem's home, sir. Colonel O'Neill attempted to open the doors."

"That doesn't work." Daniel shook his head. Catching Jack's curious look he clarified. "I tried the same thing when Nem first took me."

"Ah."

"Back to the topic. You made your way to Nem's. Please continue, Colonel."

"Actually, sir, the next part of the briefing is Daniel's."

"Doctor Jackson."

"General. Nem, Myomis and I went to another room and discussed Lamashtu. I was really only an observer. Most of that was fairly personal, and not related to our search. Basically, they had a private memorial for Lamashtu. Nem is storing her body for a final funeral later."

"I won't intrude on that private moment then, son."

"Thank you, sir." Daniel lowered his head.

Jack put his elbows on the table. "At that point, Daniel and Nem rejoined us. We continued on and basically got Nem caught up on events thus far."

"And he decided to heal you?"

"Well, he wasn't happy about our run-in with Pazuzu. I think it was our reward." Jack looked down at his knuckles.

"Alright. Was he able to offer any assistance with the matter of Ereshkigal?"

"Uh, yes." Daniel looked up. "Yes, he was. In fact, he gave us a gate address."

"I see. Well, then, I expect you'll be able to provide me with a mission request…" He trailed off as Daniel slid a folder across the table at him. A smile escaped, despite his best efforts. "Of course. Thank you, Doctor Jackson. I'll read this, and if it looks feasible, we'll send a MALP through soon." He nodded and stood. "Dismissed, SG1."

As the members of the team nodded and stood, Hammond looked over at them. "Doctor Jackson, I'd like a word, if I may."

Daniel spun back to face the General, gripping his folders tightly. He looked from Jack to the General and back again. "Me? Of- Of course, sir."

Hammond waited for the others to clear the room before gesturing to the briefing room chairs. "Have a seat, son."

Daniel sat down slowly, eyes still roving over the table.

Hammond sat down, lacing his fingers together. He sighed and looked up at Daniel. "I have already debriefed Doctor Fraiser. She advises me that you and Myomis had another disagreement."

"Oh." Daniel frowned and cleared his throat. "Well… he was upset."

"I see."

"No. It's not like that." Daniel leaned forward. "We're getting along, it's just that he was upset."

"Hmmm." Hammond tilted his head. "Myomis, I notice you've been uncharacteristically quiet through this."

"General. I do not know what to say."

The General nodded again. "Myomis, I hope you take this advice the way it is meant. From what I observe of you and from what I have learned of your history, the Oannes are a very powerful race."

Myomis hissed a little between his teeth and nodded warily. "That is so."

"Yes." Hammond's expression took on a tone of grandfatherly benevolence. "Powerful people sometimes have a great deal of difficulty allowing others to make choices for them. As much as you may believe this is a democracy, son, it is not." He touched his hand to Daniel's arm. "This body belongs to Doctor Jackson. I know Colonel O'Neill has said the same thing and I stated this earlier, but I want you to understand it. We are doing all of this for Doctor Jackson. We never would have gone this far just for you. You have not yet earned that trust or that right. I ask you to care for him as you would care for one of your family." He leaned back in his chair as Myomis hung his head, allowing his long hair to obscure Hammond's view of his eyes.

"I'd like to know the nature of your disagreement."

"General Hammond…" Daniel began, head snapping up.

"Doctor Jackson, this is something I need to discuss with Myomis. I can't exactly ask you to leave the room, but I request that you let him speak freely on this."

Daniel's brow wrinkled as he thought more about it. "Alright. Just- just talk to me before you do anything, please."

Hammond gave Daniel a brief smile. "You have my word."

"We disagreed." Myomis spoke slowly. "About Lamashtu and about my place with Daniel."

"And what do you think?"

"Think? My father offered to let me sleep again."

"I see. We had discussed that option with Nem earlier, and he refused. Why did he change his mind?"

"For Daniel. For Lamashtu."

"For Lamashtu? What do you mean by that? How could putting you to sleep assist Lamashtu?"

Myomis's head jerked up as Hammond's words indicated that he had caught the Oannes' meaning. "I mean. Ah. Misunderstanding."

Hammond leaned forward, speaking softly. "I don't think I misunderstand at all, son. You've just lost your wife. Never mind that it happened thousands of years ago, it's new to you. You are feeling the weight of your years and opportunities missed." He sighed. "I understand, better than most."

"General?" Myomis frowned.

"My wife died as well, fairly recently. There isn't a day that I don't miss her." He sat back and looked around. "You find a reason. You understand?"

Myomis stared at him with Daniel's expressive blue eyes before speaking with brutal honesty. "No. I don't."

Hammond closed his eyes and nodded. "You will. Take care, son."

- - - - -

Two hours later, Hammond and SG1 were assembled in the Control Room overlooking the gate where the MALP was being prepared for its exploration through the ring.

"Chevron seven, locked." The gate technician's voice rang out as the Stargate exploded into life.

"Looks like we got a good address." Sam said, checking the computers.

"MALP is in transit." They watched as the MALP disappeared into the event horizon. "Receiving MALP telemetry in three… two… one."

All eyes turned to the monitor as the MALP made its way down the ramp and into a huge chamber. Everyone was still as the gate tech Davis panned the camera across the chamber.

"Well, what do you think?" Hammond asked, turning to SG1.

"Uh." Daniel squinted, looking closer. "Okay. The room appears to be large, with high ceilings. The walls are of a dark rock or metal with no carvings or engravings. There's light."

Sam leaned forward, peering at a monitor. "It's not flame. They appear to be some sort of mechanical fixture. Something electrical, maybe?"

"Down, Carter." Jack cautioned, seeing his second in command all but salivate at the thought of new technology.

"Is it Goa'uld?" Daniel turned back to Teal'c. The Jaffa was calmly observing one of the other monitors.

"It appears similar in design to Goa'uld, but with some similarity to the technology of Oannes."

"I agree." Myomis said, frowning. "I suspect Goa'uld have modified technology again."

"Is it possible that Ereshkigal is a Goa'uld?" Hammond flipped through the mission briefing.

"Our discussion with Nem led us to believe that she was Oannes, however, the Oannes have themselves been corrupted by the Goa'uld." Teal'c paused and Jack jumped in.

"In other words, sir, possibly."

"Wait, wait, wait." Daniel tapped the screen with one hand. "Go back. I saw something. Writing."

Davis obligingly swung the camera back, focussing on a lighter patch on the far wall.

"Go toward that. Can you focus on it?" Daniel leaned forward, nose almost against the monitor.

"That's the best I can do, Doctor Jackson. The lighting is a little dim."

"Can you read it?" Sam peered over at Daniel.

"I think… give me a second." Daniel cleared his throat. "I think it's the opening to the tale of Inanna, or Ishtar and her descent to Erkalla. Can you read it Myomis?" Daniel's body shifted its posture subtly.

"Yes." Myomis read the Akkadian script out fluidly, tracing his fingers along the monitor to follow the writing. When he was done, everyone looked at him.

"That was clear… not." Jack drawled. "Can we have Daniel give us the English version?"

Daniel cleared his throat, and then mimicked Myomis, lightly tracing his fingers over the script on the monitor.

"It's almost word for word from the description of the Descent of Ishtar. Listen."

He began to speak rhythmically, translating the words.

'_To Erkalla, land of no return,  
To the dark house, dwelling of Erkalla's god,  
To the house which those who enter cannot leave,  
On the road where travelling is one-way only,  
To the house where those who enter are deprived of light,  
Where dust is their food, clay their bread.  
They see no light, they dwell in darkness,  
They are clothed like birds, with feathers.  
Over the door and the bolt, dust has settled.'_

There was silence as he ended. Not even Jack had a fast comeback for this.

Hammond was the first to speak. "Doctor Jackson, given that description, I'm really not sure I want to approve a mission to Erkalla."

"Well." Daniel pointed at the monitor, as if revealing a great truth. "It's probably there to frighten away people." He cleared his throat. "For what it's worth, given the dust, it doesn't look like anyone's been there for a while."

"Small comfort, Doctor Jackson." Hammond said dryly. "Colonel O'Neill?"

"Sir… I'm inclined to follow Daniel's lead on this one." Jack nodded, backing up his team-mate.

Hammond looked over the rest of the team, getting only determined acceptance in return. "Alright Colonel. You have a go."

"Thank you, sir." Jack waited until the General was out of earshot before turning back to Daniel and saying lightly. "I always said I'd follow you into Hell itself. I didn't expect you to hold me to it."

He walked away leaving Daniel with one finger pointing in the air, jaw hanging open.

- - - - -

"SG1." Hammond called to the team as they assembled at the base of the ramp. Behind them, the gate tech called out the chevrons as they locked. "I will be keeping SG2 in reserve. We will open the Gate every six hours and attempt radio contact. If you miss a check in, SG2 will be sent to your location to attempt to determine if they can reach you. Is that understood?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir." He flipped the velcro cover on his watch open and noted the time. "Six hours, sir." He turned as the wormhole exploded into life behind them.

"Alright. Good luck SG1, and God speed."

With Hammond's words, the team turned and went into the Gate, heading for Erkalla.

- - - - -

"Oof." Daniel grunted as Jack was thrown rather forcefully out of the Gate and impacted with his back. It did little more than nudge the archaeologist who was standing, jaw dropped, staring around.

Carter, Teal'c and Jack explored the area, guns up, checking for hostiles. In the large, open entrance hall, there was nowhere to hide and they quickly determined the area to be secure.

Feeling more at ease, Jack looked around. As the MALP had shown, the entrance had high ceilings. What Daniel had taken for dark stone was in fact, tile work and mosaics. Like Nem's lair, there was a predominantly blue colour in the vivid tiles. There was very little adornment, having only plain blue walls, darker blue columns and a high ceiling done is dusty whites and greens. Aside from the far wall and door, there was no writing and no pictures. The lighting was housed in small, metal sconces that directed the illumination upward, highlighting the swirling colour patterns on the ceiling.

"Daniel? Myomis? What have we got here?"

"Well… the architecture is more Oannes than Goa'uld." Daniel spun in a lazy circle, one hand extended as he stared at the ceiling. "I know this. I saw this somewhere."

"Before the falling… fall of Oannes, there were pictures like this." Myomis spoke slowly, as enraptured as Daniel.

"That's it." Daniel looked over at Jack. "In my dreams, when I saw Myomis in my dreams, there was this fresco or… mural or something. Shimmering blues."

"Yes." Myomis nodded and returned their gaze to the ceiling. "The blues were a representation of my mother."

"Omoroca?" Sam broke in, wincing. "Ow. Wait. This is familiar to me too."

"Captain Carter?" Teal'c stepped up to the woman. "Are you well?"

"I don't know, Teal'c. I just got this horrible headache."

Daniel stepped up, concerned. "It's okay, Sam. Don't fight it. Close your eyes and relax. The pain goes away if you don't fight."

Carter looked about ready to make a sharp remark before taking a deep breath and sighing. Myomis put his hands on her shoulders, gripping gently.

"Lamashtu." He whispered the words. As O'Neill and Teal'c watched, Sam's frown started to smooth out. Jack tapped Teal'c's arm and waved in the opposite direction.

"Come on, Teal'c. Let's give them a little room here."

The Jaffa nodded. "Indeed. I believe our interference would be quite counter-productive at this point." They stepped backward, beyond the next set of support pillars, still keeping watch.

Myomis briefly watched them before turning back to Carter.

"You must be calm, Samantha. Find your center and relax. Daniel and I learned to share this way. The pain is short-lived. It will disappear."

Carter looked up at him, eyes nervous. "I'm a little afraid I might disappear with it."

"We shall bring you back. Lamashtu and I are but guests. We will not let you lose yourself."

Sam nodded hesitantly. "Okay." She blew out a deep breath. Myomis's hands gently massaged her shoulders. She felt herself relaxing as he spoke to her in Oannes.

"Ah!" She exclaimed softly as the pain flared up again.

"Calm." Myomis whispered. Carter frowned as the pain spiked again, only Myomis's hands on her shoulders keeping her from dropping to the ground and curling up in a ball. Her hands came up and gripped his forearms tightly, her body beginning to shake. She forced herself to focus on his voice, listening to his words and pushing the pain away. Myomis smiled as her frown smoothed out and she sighed.

"Lamashtu." He said again.

This time, when Carter's eyes opened, the frank, assessing gaze of his dead wife stared back at him. She spoke in Oannes.

"Who are you?" She squared her shoulders, pulling away.

"Rîmi-Lamashtu." He said her name fondly, a rare smile breaking out.

Startled, she drew herself up. "Myomis?" She reached up her hand and touched his face with wonder. "How?"

"Too long a story, beloved. Do you know this place?"

She pulled away and turned around, staring up at the ceiling. "Yes." She breathed the word softly. "I do. Rîmi-Myomis, you have come to Erkalla. What do you seek?"

He stepped quickly around, gripping her hand tightly. "Ennugigi. You said that he was destroyed."

Her eyes went wide. "He lives. He serves your mother."

Now Myomis frowned. "No, beloved. Oannes has fallen to the Goa'uld."

"Goa'uld?" She touched his forehead. "What do you mean?"

Myomis cupped Lamashtu's face in his hands. "Beloved, do you not remember?" He searched her face. "What do you remember last? What day is it?"

She smiled at him. "Tonight we celebrate our secret betrothal." She leaned forward, nuzzling his neck. "I was in your chambers, awaiting your return. You were with your father, and Ea. They had just returned from a trip to Abydos. I remember waiting for you to join me, and now we are here."

"Our…" He frowned, leaning his head back as her teeth lightly nipped his throat. "Our celebration." He groaned softly. "Lamashtu, stop. The celebration. The night you became pregnant."

"A child with my husband. I dream of such things. I pray for the day when I am blessed with a child. Soon, I hope, my beloved." She whispered, pulling his head down to meet hers and touching her lips to his. "Beloved."

"Lamashtu." He surrendered to the kiss.

"Whoa!" A very aware and very confused Sam Carter jumped back, eyes wide. "What the hell?"

"Sam." Daniel put his hands up. "I'm sorry."

"Daniel? Carter?" Teal'c and Jack jogged over to them. "Everything okay?"

Feeling obscurely guilty, Carter wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. "Uh. Fine." She added after a pause. "Sir. Fine, sir."

Jack turned to Daniel who was scrubbing at his neck with the edge of his sleeve. "Daniel?"

"What? Oh. Fine. No, wait. Not fine. Lamashtu-"

Carter cut him off. "Daniel, I don't think the Colonel needs to know about that." She was wide-eyed.

"Oh. I think I do." Jack was all attentive curiosity.

"Lamashtu doesn't remember this." He turned to Sam as she frowned. "She recognised the location. The entrance hall is old… ancient. The carvings on the door may predate the Ishtar legend… although some of them appear newer than others…" He looked around, sensing that he was losing his audience. "Anyway, she didn't know anything about the Goa'uld. She could have been here on business with Ea. Myomis knew nothing about this place or Ereshkigal. It makes sense that Lamashtu would know about this place, since Ea and Ereshkigal were closer in the old stories."

"Yet she did so earlier." Teal'c said, looking between Daniel and Sam. He looked closer. "Are you well, Daniel Jackson? Both you and Captain Carter appear flushed."

Sam and Daniel met each other's gaze briefly and flushed even darker. "No, Teal'c. We're fine." Sam said hurriedly.

"Are you certain?" Teal'c persisted. "Do we need to monitor your blood pressure? Doctor Fraiser has instructed me on the use of the monitoring equipment."

Daniel almost let a grin slip away from them. Teal'c's expression was a strange mix of concern and hope. He really seemed eager to try out his new-found skills, while obviously worried about their health.

"Really, we're fine." He looked back at Jack who was regarding his team with an air of fond amusement. "Jack, I think Sam has Lamashtu's genetic memory."

Jack's eyebrows went up. "Daniel? I thought we had all agreed on that."

"No. No, no, no. Not like that. I mean, she has Lamashtu's true genetic memory. She possesses memories only up until the night that their children were conceived. That's what Mackenzie said. Genetic memory should only be present up until the time the genetic material was passed along to the next generation. Someone with true genetic memories wouldn't remember their death… and Lamashtu clearly doesn't."

"But she did in the hypnosis session." Sam's voice was confused.

"I wonder." Daniel chewed on his lip.

"No, Daniel, she was there. We all saw her."

He put up his hand. "Oh, no argument. I saw her as well. I just wonder now if she was alone."

"What?" Sam's outburst startled everyone.

Daniel cleared his throat, his gaze slipping from Jack to Teal'c and finally to Sam. "I wonder if more than Lamashtu was woken up by Nem's device. Maybe with the hypnosis, more than Lamashtu came out. Nem said some things… never mind about that now." He trailed off.

Jack frowned. "It sounds like something we need to know, Daniel."

"He mentioned something about Sam possibly carrying the future. You know what Nem's like. He can be a little obscure. I thought he was referring to the split between Sam and Lamashtu, but now…"

Carter cleared her throat, reminding them all that she was in the room with them.

"Sorry, Sam. There's nothing we can do about that now, though."

"How can this be possible, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c tilted his head as he thought.

Daniel shrugged, shaking his head. "I have no idea. I'm just throwing out some thoughts. Genetic memory is passed down through the genes. Perhaps we each have within us the memory of every person who ever contributed DNA to our physical make-up. We're all reacting to Nem's scan differently. It caused Myomis's memory to awaken fully, it activated Jack's Oannes genetic marker without the personality awakening. Teal'c, you don't seem to have suffered any ill effects and maybe Sam has more than one personality lightly awakening."

"This should not be possible." Myomis spoke up, shaking his head.

"Yeah. Why does Myomis remember his death then?" Jack added.

"Well, something's happening." Daniel shrugged. "That's all I know."

"Even if you're right, what now?" Sam asked.

"I'm thinking maybe we need to talk to Nem or the General." Jack adjusted his gun strap.

"What? Jack, no. We're here. We should explore."

"Daniel. This mumbo-jumbo is getting a little too confusing for me. I'm just saying that maybe we need to have everyone checked out again before it's safe to go on."

"Please, Jack."

O'Neill hesitated a moment, looking back at the Stargate. His frown deepened. "Where's the DHD?"

All other matters made irrelevant by that statement, everyone spun. Daniel jogged to the former site of the DHD.

"It was here when we got here." He spun around on his heel, as if it might have simply picked up and moved to a better position. "I know it was."

Jack, Sam and Teal'c were on alert again, weapons up. "Well, where did it go?" Jack barked as he made his way through the grand hall, checking behind pillars.

"It was right here." Daniel peered around. He waved his hands cautiously, as if it might still be there, simply invisible. He looked down. "Wait. There's some writing here." He cocked his head, sounding it out. "Myomis?"

"Daniel?" The Oannes sounded distracted. "What?"

Daniel's brow furrowed. "Are you okay?"

"Okay. Okay, Daniel. What did you need?"

Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Are you sure you're okay? The DHD is missing. We can't go home."

Now Myomis's frown matched Daniel's. "Where is it?"

Daniel looked down. "We're standing on it."

"There is an inscription."

"Yeah. I just want to make sure I'm reading this right."

Myomis looked at it and translated. "This is the house which those who enter cannot leave."

"Oh boy. I was afraid of that." He turned to find Jack staring intently at him, watching his odd two-person monologue. "Jack, I think the DHD might be under this stone."

"Good. Open it."

"Not that simple."

"Yes it is. Two words. 'Open' and 'it'."

"I have a few words of my own, Jack." Daniel threatened dangerously. "It makes a kind of strange sense. This is Erkalla. None who enter may leave. The only way out is forward."

"Which means?"

"We have to open the Gates to Erkalla."

"Now, see… that doesn't sound like the safer option."

"It may be our only option."

Jack sighed. "So you can't open that." He gestured to the floor. "But you think you can open that?"

Daniel cleared his throat and shrugged. "I don't really see any other options." He restated.

Jack sighed, surrendering to the inevitable. "Okay, listen up. Looks like we have to go forward. Daniel, you and Myomis get to take the lead. Just tell us who we can shoot and who we can't."

Daniel turned back from the door. "Actually, Jack, I think shooting would be a very bad idea here." He ran his hands over the doorway, looking for buttons or levers, scanning the script. "Ishtar couldn't open the door so she threatened to bring the gates crashing down and raise the deceased until the dead outnumbered the living. Ereshkigal was understandably upset by this and commanded that they admit her using the 'old ways'. That eventually ended up with Ishtar being led naked to face Ereshkigal where she was subsequently killed."

"Naked?"

"Yes, Jack. Naked. Now, let me work."

With that, the team backed off, leaving Daniel and Myomis to explore the gate. After an hour of Daniel and Myomis mumbling at each other, Jack started to grumble loudly.

"Daniel, any day now."

He was ignored.

He turned as he heard a muffled thump. Daniel had undone his vest and let it and his pack fall to the floor. He reached out and touched the stone door, but nothing happened. Jack got up and walked toward him. "Daniel, what are you doing?"

"Trying something." Daniel shucked off his jacket and touched the door again.

"Trying what, exactly?"

Daniel held up a hand, making a sweeping motion across the door. "We've translated the door. Basically it says what we translated back at the base, with a few extra lines." He pointed to some spiky script along the base of the door.

"The first door is kept by Nedu. Remember the lessons of old."

"Obscure." Was Jack's appraisal.

"Well, Ereshkigal said that Ishtar had to be admitted according to the 'ancient rites'. She had to remove an item of clothing at each stage. I'm just trying this out."

"It doesn't seem to be working, and I thought you said we didn't want to use the 'old rites'."

"I'm just trying it out, Jack."

"So, Ishtar took off her flak jacket, did she?"

"No, actually, Ishtar took off her crown, necklace and bracelets first." He pointed to his bare head and neck. "We're improvising."

Jack put a hand up. "Whoa, whoa. Wait. What makes you think it will work?"

"I don't know. It doesn't hurt to try."

"Getting naked to enter Hell and he says, 'doesn't hurt'." Jack sighed.

"Perhaps you are not the correct person to offer such a thing, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c and Sam joined them at the gate.

Daniel looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Ishtar was female."

Sam's hands went up, face flaring red as the others turned to her. "Oh, no."

Daniel blinked rapidly. "I-" He cleared his throat. "I don't think that would work."

"Why not?" Teal'c asked.

"Wh- Why?" Daniel looked back at Sam. "Because."

"Yeah." Sam said defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "What about you, Teal'c?"

Teal'c looked down. "I regret that I would not make it past the sixth gate."

Everyone looked at Teal'c and mentally counted layers.

"You mean-" Jack began.

"In any case." Daniel began, clearing his throat to bring the conversation back to the gate. "It probably can't be Teal'c, I guess. The whole 'Jaffa thing' probably would disqualify him."

"Yet Captain Carter is not a Jaffa." Teal'c countered imperturbably.

"But she is expressing Lamashtu's personality. Not Oannes."

"Perhaps O'Neill should offer the sacrifice." Teal'c spoke, crossing his hands behind his back.

Jack tore his eyes away from Teal'c chest, still counting layers. "What?"

"Teal'c thinks maybe you should be the one to recreate the legend." Daniel waved his hands.

"Uh… that would be 'no'."

"Jack, it's not working for me, and according to Myomis, you have Nedu's genes."

"Daniel, I am not doing the 'Dance of the Seven Gates' for you."

"I don't think you need to dance, sir." Carter spoke quietly.

"Then you do it." He pointed at Daniel.

"I tried."

"Try harder."

"Jack, I could get naked if I had to, but that wasn't part of the legend. I took off my pack, thinking that maybe it wouldn't count my pack."

"How the hell would it know?"

"What?"

"You're telling me that this rock wall is going to know the difference between my pack and my jacket?"

"Well, I don't know. We haven't tried yet." Daniel replied impatiently.

"Carter, you try it."

"Sir?" Sam's voice projected subdued outrage. "Is that an order?"

"Oh, for crying out loud, Carter." Jack dumped his flak jacket and pack off his shoulders. With quick moves, he slipped out of his jacket. "It's a wall, it doesn't know." He held the jacket up in one fist, rubbing it on the wall. "You see. It…"

He trailed off as the wall rumbled and slid open.

"Dammit."

"Well, it can tell." Daniel said, looking sidelong at Jack.

Jack looked down and mentally counted layers. "Seven gates?"

"Yeah."

"Shoulda packed long underwear." He sighed.

"Perhaps now we may resolve the wagers begun by SG3." Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

"The what?" Jack turned.

"Teal'c, I don't think now is a good time to-"

"Daniel?" Daniel cleared his throat, gaze skittering to the walls. Jack turned back to Teal'c. "Spill."

Teal'c cocked his head. "Spill what?"

"The beans, Teal'c. Spill the beans." He waved his hands. "Never mind. What's the wager?"

"I believe it centers upon the style of garment worn under your trousers, O'Neill."

Jack frowned and spun back to Daniel who was chewing his lip. Jack's raised eyebrows asked the question for him.

"Boxers or briefs." Daniel clarified, crossing his arms across his chest and trying to contain his amusement.

"I'll bust them back down to privates." Jack snarled, clutching his jacket to his chest. "Makepeace's little band are going to be privates.

"Jack."

"Privates. SG3's going to be…"

"Jack!" Daniel sighed, exasperated. "Nobody cares about SG3's privates."

Everyone paused and stared at Daniel. He froze and then continued on as if nothing had happened, speaking with exaggerated enthusiasm. "I think we should leave a note for the General when he dials in to check on us in a few hours. We can't risk him sending more teams. They'd be stuck with us."

"Sure." Jack spoke cheerily, willing the whole mess behind him.

- - - - -

They walked carefully down the winding hallway. Carter took left, Jack took right. Daniel hugged the wall behind Jack and Teal'c guarded the rear.

"How many gates?" Jack whispered.

"Seven." Daniel answer, looking up at the walls, fingers trailing over the rough surface.

"So we have six left?"

"Yes."

"The Stargate doesn't count as the first?" Sam asked, keeping her eyes glued on the corridor ahead.

"I don't think so." Daniel shook his head. "Nedu is the Guardian of the first gate, and only he could say who would pass. There's no sign of an iris on the gate, so no way for Nedu to really control it, or to bar entrance."

"No problem blocking the exit." Jack said. "Here we go." He gestured with his chin as they rounded a corner and found another gate, sealed tightly.

Daniel scanned the surface of the door. "No writing. Nothing new added." He squinted. "No sign." He turned back to Jack expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well, Jack, you appear to be our designated Ishtar for this mission. 'Ishtar came to the second gate and called to the gatekeeper. He took from her a necklace with an eight-pointed star and allowed her to pass'."

"I don't have an eight-pointed star necklace."

"No, and Ishtar didn't have an SGC issue jacket either. Just try it, Jack."

The colonel sighed and lowered his weapon reluctantly with a couple of false starts. "So help me, Daniel." He trailed off ineffectively as he pulled the strap of the gun over his head. With Carter and Teal'c still keeping watch, he carefully placed the gun on the ground. As per Daniel's advice, he left his jacket at the first gate. "T-shirt?"

Daniel nodded.

Hesitating, Jack gave in with a sigh. He took his cap off, stuffing it in the pocket of his BDUs. He shot Daniel a look, still wondering if this was a joke. Daniel's shrug did nothing to reassure him. With a 'what I do for you' look at the archaeologist, he untucked his shirt from the waist of his pants. He started to pull the shirt up when he noticed how he was the focus of his team members look. "About face, all of you." He snapped.

"Yes, sir." Carter said, whipping around. Daniel put his hands up and turned. Teal'c somehow managed to look mildly offended, but turned anyway.

With a number of muttered curses, Jack pulled the t-shirt over his head. The cotton fabric rubbed against his scalp, causing his hair to stick up in all directions. With his shirt in one hand and bare-chested, he turned to face the door.

"Daniel. I sense a distinct lack of co-operation on the door's part."

Daniel turned, frowning. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean, 'what did I do'?"

"What did you do last time that you didn't do this time?"

"I stood here, I took my shirt off and I'm still standing here, Daniel." Jack's tone turned exasperated.

"So what changed?" Daniel pursed his lips, thinking.

"Can I put my shirt back on?" Jack put his arms through the shirt sleeves.

"No." Daniel replied, distracted. Jack stopped, glaring.

"Perhaps a different offering is needed?" Myomis guessed.

"Maybe." Daniel replied. "Jack, how about-"

"No." Jack snapped, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

"You don't even know what I was going to suggest."

"You were going to suggest I take off my pants."

"Oh." Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Good guess."

"So, no."

"Sir? Can we turn around now?" Carter asked, clearly hoping to help.

"No." Jack said, just to be petty. "Maybe you should take off your shirt, Daniel. Maybe it's switched Ishtars."

"Well, I guess I could try." Daniel cleared his throat nervously as he unzipped his jacket. He pulled the hem of his shirt out of his pants. Catching Jack's eye, he pointedly turned his back and pulled his shirt over his head.

Turning to the gate, he waited.

"Nothing." Daniel's eyebrows were up as he chewed on his bottom lip. "Maybe I should…" He waved his hand at his belt buckle.

"Teal'c." Jack cut him off before he could go too far. "Your turn."

"As you wish, O'Neill." The Jaffa turned back to face them, stripping off jacket and t-shirt with no sign of discomfort. All three turned to face the gate.

"You're sure about this, Daniel?"

"Well, no. Not really. I'm going on the basis of our last encounter, which was our only encounter, with the first gate."

"Sir, perhaps there's an action or position you need to complete before the gate will open." Carter turned back to face them, flushing a little as her three half-dressed team-mates stared back at her.

"Sam, perhaps you should-"

"No." Sam echoed her commanding officer in both word and tone, stopping Daniel before he could even voice the thought fully.

"Okay, well." Daniel turned back to the gate. "Maybe there's a lever or switch, maybe a plate to stand on. Do you see anything, Sam?" He looked over his shoulder at the Captain. "Sam? You okay?"

Sam snapped back to attention, face red. "What? Yeah. Fine. Little hot- _warm_. Warm in here." She stuttered and then cleared her throat loudly, the sound echoing down the corridor. "Sorry." She whispered, noticing Daniel's wince. "Last time, the colonel stood in front of the gate and touched it. Maybe one of you needs to touch it again?" For no apparent reason, she flushed again.

"Good thinking." Daniel nodded and reached out to the gate, touching his shirt and fingertips to the door. He paused and then shrugged. "Nothing." He made to withdraw his hand and then frowned. "Ow."

"Ow?" Jack stepped forward.

"Yeah. It's got my fingers." Daniel tugged ineffectively. "I can't pull them free." He leaned back, his free hand wrapped around his trapped wrist. "It's pulling me in."

Carter stepped forward and checked. Daniel's hands were indeed imbedded in the door up to his first knuckle, meshing seamlessly with the stone-like material of the gate. Jack grabbed his trapped arm and pulled.

"Ah." Daniel made a pained noise. "It's not coming free." He dug in his heels, but was unable to stop the movement forward. Slowly but surely, he was being drawn into the gate. "Jack?" He called, starting to panic.

"Grab him." Jack grunted, wrapping his arms around Daniel's bicep. Daniel gasped as his hand sunk up to the wrist, trapping the fingers of his formerly free hand.

Teal'c wrapped his arms around Daniel's waist, trying to stop Daniel's movement, while Sam clung to his other arm. Nothing they did slowed him down, and Daniel was left groaning as he was pulled in two directions.

Sam and Jack were forced to retreat when Daniel's elbows and feet met the door. They joined with Teal'c pulling on his waist.

Angled backward, Daniel's knees were the next to be sucked into the grey gate material.

"Wait." He called breathlessly. "I can move my hands again. I think they're free. Jack, let me go."

"Dammit, Daniel, we are not letting you go." Jack ground out between clenched teeth as he pulled against Daniel's waist.

"Please, Jack. You're going to get caught. I think… I think it'll be okay. Please, let me go."

"Carter, Teal'c? Let go." Jack grated the words as he secured himself more firmly with Daniel. "That's an order, Captain!" He snapped as Sam didn't respond right away.

Reluctantly, Sam let Daniel slide out of her grasp.

"Sir?"

"Give us an hour. If we don't respond, head back to the gate. Wait for Hammond. Ask for C4 and blow the DHD clear. Get home."

"Sir?" What about you?"

"We'll find a way out." Jack hissed as his arms met the door and were gripped by the cool material. They immediately felt like they were being held in a vice.

Daniel stiffened in his arms with a choked gasp. The gate was up to his abdomen. Daniel's upper chest was working but he wasn't making any noise. Jack quickly realised that the same material that was paralysing his arms, now had a hold of Daniel's chest, preventing the archaeologist from breathing.

"Go!" Jack yelled harshly, before reversing directions and pushing Daniel forward and into the gate.

- - - - -

"Oh God." Carter muttered as she and Teal'c watched Daniel and the Colonel disappear into the grey material of the gate. "What is that thing?"

Teal'c was frowning, thoughtful.

"Upon the first gate was the description of Erkalla. The DHD coverstone read 'the house which those who enter cannot leave'."

"Yeah?"

Teal'c looked down at her. "The next line read 'on the road where travelling is one-way only'."

"Okay, I remember that."

"Perhaps, Captain Carter, this is another gate and as such, it reflects a line in the description of Erkalla."

"One way travel only." Sam frowned, considering.

"Indeed."

"So you think that the Colonel and Daniel are safe in the other side of the gate and that we just need to walk through it to proceed?"

"I do."

"The Colonel ordered us back to the DHD."

"That he did, Captain Carter."

"But I don't suppose it would hurt to experiment."

A rare partial smile flickered across Teal'c's features. "I concur."

"And that's not really disobeying orders, since he did tell us to wait an hour. I mean… what are we supposed to do?"

"That is so."

"Alright then." Sam stepped somewhat nervously forward and found the Colonel's pack and shirt, both of which had been discarded in his rush to grab Daniel. She tied the shirt around one of the straps on the pack and lined the pack up with the door so that it would go through dragging on the floor, bottom first. "Here goes."

She pushed the pack against the door, letting the grey material grab it. Slowly, the pack slid forward. She and Teal'c watched it until it was two thirds of the way through before it disappeared with a sudden jerk.

Despite watching for exactly such an event, Carter jumped in surprise.

"That looked like someone grabbed it and pulled it through." She smiled up at Teal'c. He gave a satisfied nod of the head back. "Let's try another one."

This time, she used Daniel's pack and jacket. Daniel had been holding on to his shirt when he was pulled through. Again, they watched the pack sink about two thirds into the gate before it too was pulled in quickly.

"I think they're there." Sam's grin was wide.

"We should follow them." Teal'c said, readying his pack and staff weapon.

Sam drew up a deep breath, and kept her gun at the ready. Without another word, she and Teal'c pushed their way through the gate.

- - - - -

"Colonel?" Carter's voice was soft, hesitant.

She and Teal'c had pushed their way through the door. It was not that difficult, but still shockingly cold. On the other side, they had been plunged into complete darkness. Their flashlights and the gun-mounted targeting lights were non-operational as well.

"Samantha?" Myomis's voice was quiet.

"Dammit, Carter. I gave you two an order." Jack's voice rasped from roughly the same direction as Myomis.

"Yes, sir." Carter was all business. "You said to wait for one hour to see if there was any sign from you two."

"And yet, you're here."

"Yes, sir. We pushed the packs through. Something grabbed them. We assumed that was you and that you had made it through the wall. Therefore-"

"Alright, enough. I got it." Jack's voice was full of gruff acceptance. "Get over here and help feel for a way out. Teal'c, can you see anything?"

"I cannot O'Neill."

Sam stepped forward, stopped when she hit something that grunted. "Colonel?"

"What?"

"Is that you?"

"Is that me, what?"

Sam ignored that. "Daniel?"

"Sam." Myomis said again. He was still kind of shaky.

"Are you guys okay?" She knelt down, feeling her way forward, touching his knee and then his bare chest. "Sorry." She muttered under her breath. "Dark in here."

Myomis moved restlessly. "There are many objects in this area. I think I hit my head." His head jerked backward as Sam touched his face.

"Easy." She whispered, tracing her fingers over his face. "I don't think you're bleeding." She eased her pack off her shoulders, feeling her way through it until she found the med kit. "What hurts?"

"My head." Myomis whispered back. "Everything else is okay."

While Carter attempted to see to Myomis, Jack and Teal'c felt their way around the chamber.

"There's another door here." Jack said. "I think we're locked in." There was muffled cursing as he tripped. "Place is like a god-damn warren. I think they are chairs."

"O'Neill. I believe my vision returns."

Everyone looked around.

"What do you see?" Jack craned his neck ineffectively.

"There are stars… in the sky?" Teal'c's voice was uncertain. "I do not recognise their configuration."

"Well, I don't…" Jack trailed off. "Wait. I see something faint. What the hell? We're not outside, are we?"

Having done what little she could for Myomis, Carter sat down next to him and they trained their eyes on the 'heavens'.

Sam heard Myomis's gasp as he was finally able to pick out the images. "This is Oannes. The sky is Oannes."

"Jack?" Daniel asked. "You do some star gazing. Is any of this familiar?"

"Still a little faint." He could almost hear Jack shake his head. "Everything seems a little off though."

"Well, sir, if this is a representation of the Oannes night sky, it will be off. Remember the star charts I drew up from Borsippa? The stars migrate over time."

"Right, the stellar drift." Daniel pointed at her.

"Hey." She turned. "Do that again."

"What?"

"I think I saw you move."

"Of course I did."

"Yes, but I can see it."

"Oh."

"If you two don't mind." Jack drawled. "I think I found some writing or something."

"Writing?" Daniel was instantly diverted, rising slowly to his feet. The illumination in the room was now very, very dim. The stars were displayed overhead just like on Earth, with a massive band representing the Milky Way. Smaller constellations flanked the swath of stars.

"Look!" Sam pointed. "A shooting star."

"I believe this is some sort of mechanical display." Teal'c spoke, still standing at attention. "I, too, observed the 'falling star'. It has occurred several times now. Each time, it fell in the exact same location, with the same duration."

"So this is what, a planetarium?" Sam hazarded a guess.

"Explains the chairs." Daniel muttered, threading his way carefully through them to join Jack. "Where's the writing?" He began to pull his t-shirt, which had been still clutched in his fist, over his head.

"Daniel?" Jack squinted in the dim light. "Are you dressing?"

"Huh?" Daniel looked down at his shirt and smoothed his hands over his chest. "Yes, Jack. I am dressing."

"So… what happened to the whole Ishtar thing?"

"Oh." Daniel's eyebrows went up. "I was thinking about that. I think Nedu used his position as Guardian of Erkalla to turn this into some sort of test. Judging from the writing on the front door, I think he may have adopted Erkalla as a base of some sort. We're undergoing a series of tests with each door which, so far, seem to relate somehow to the Ishtar myth."

"Is that what you've been thinking?" Jack commented dryly, trying to imagine where, between almost suffocating in the door way to this room and waking up with a bump on the head, Daniel came up with this.

"Yes." Daniel's head bobbed sharply. The first door was something about 'the first door is kept by Nedu'.

"Yes." Jack nodded.

"Well, Jack," Daniel's hand was flat, waving in Jack's direction. "You're not Ishtar, you're Nedu."

"So, it was the colonel's Oannes genes that opened the door, not the-" Carter trailed off, making a small gesture with one hand.

"Yes, thank you Carter. We get it." Jack said sourly. "So the strip-tease?" His words were muffled as he pulled his t-shirt back on. Beside him, Teal'c echoed his moves. Retrieving his cap from his back pocket, Jack settled it back on his head.

"Well, it was a reasonable experiment, Jack. Given the results of the first gate-"

"Ah." Jack cut him off. "All I know is, if I get a cold, I'm sharing it with you. Got it?"

Daniel's smile flashed for a moment. "Yes, Jack."

"Teal'c was thinking along the same lines." Sam added.

"What… he's giving Daniel's his cold too?" Jack played dumb.

"Uh. No, sir." She looked up at the Jaffa.

Teal'c stared implacably back before speaking. "There is a line in the Ishtar legend stating that travel is one way only, is there not?"

"Yeah." Daniel nodded rapidly as he got it. "I think that last gate definitely counts as one-way only."

"Alright." Jack squinted in the still dim light. "What's the next line?"

"Um." Daniel thought. "Something about light."

"'To the house where those who enter are deprived of light'." Teal'c quoted to them.

Daniel looked over at him. "Wow. You remembered that?"

"I read your mission briefing, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c spoke matter-of-factly. "I then took it upon myself to further read the reference materials enclosed."

"You- you did?" Daniel was surprised.

"Indeed."

"All of them."

Teal'c's answer was a simple nod.

"Me too." Sam piped up. "After doing all that research earlier, I actually understood a lot of it."

"I'm- I'm impressed. Jack, did you-"

"So, what's the next test?" Jack cut Daniel off before he could finish the question.

"I have no idea." Daniel turned to the door and the writing that Jack had found, "Myomis, what do we have here?"

"Daniel. I have seen in my childhood a place such as this. It was a place of learning."

"Nothing about tests?"

"No." Myomis shook his head, crouching in the near-darkness to read the script which was glowing with a faint blue light.

"This is a memory of Oannes." He read the inscription in English. "Seek out the legacy that we protect."

"Cryptic much?" Jack sighed, looking around. "What does that mean?"

"Well, something in here must relate to the keys or Omoroca." Daniel tilted his head back and stared at the 'sky' above them. "The legacy that Nedu guarded."

There was a grunt as Jack sat in one of the chairs and stretched his legs out in front of him, allowing him to look up at they sky. "Okay, we have your basic Earth constellations here. I remember looking some of these up. Milky Way, zodiac, north star. Anything in your stories represent Omoroca?"

Daniel thought. "No. Tiamat was the one I couldn't find."

"Alright." Jack pointed. "There's Ophiuchus."

"Let me see." Daniel stood up on a chair, reaching up. "Some of the stars are buttons. I think we have to choose the right combination, and we'll get through."

"Could it be Ophiuchus?" Sam guessed.

"Pazuzu's home? I don't think so. I can try it, though." He squinted over at Jack.

The colonel shrugged. "I guess."

Daniel placed his fingers carefully on the buttons, making sure they were all covered. "Okay. Here goes." He took a deep breath and pushed down on the buttons. He held his hands in place for a moment before letting them drop. "Nothing. It-"

Blue lighting flared out from the wall and struck him, dancing eerily over his skin and momentarily illuminating the entire chamber.

"Daniel!" Jack yelled, tripping over chairs in his haste to get to the archaeologist.

The 'lightning' played out and dissipated. Daniel dropped like a stone. Only Teal'c's quick reflexes stopped him from hitting the ground as he slumped, unconscious.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Thirty**_

"Straighten his legs, Teal'c." Sam spoke rapidly. "Colonel, support his head."

"Dammit, these chairs are everywhere." There was a snarl and a crash as Jack hurled the offending objects out of the way. The light was still too dim to see anything more than faint outlines. Finally, he made it to Daniel and knelt.

"Carter, what the hell was that? Lightning?"

"O'Neill, I have seen similar weapons before."

"So, more stolen technology."

"Colonel, it's too dark for me to make a firm diagnosis, but he looks okay. It doesn't even feel like his fingers are burnt. His pulse is fast, but it's steady and strong and he's breathing fine. His muscles aren't rigid. There's no ozone smell indicative of electrical discharge. Maybe it was some other sort of energy."

"Nedu?" Myomis asked groggily, turning his head from side to side, struggling to wake up.

"Easy, Myomis. You've had a bit of a shock." Jack winced at his unintentional pun.

"Okay, I need to talk to Daniel for a moment." Carter held on to Myomis's

shoulders, preventing him from sitting up.

Myomis put his hands over his face and rubbed his eyes. Carter grabbed for

his glasses as he dislodged them.

"Daniel?" She tried again.

There was a sigh. "No Daniel, Samantha."

"What?" Jack frowned. "Where is he?"

"I do not know. Perhaps the lightning has made him sleep more?"

"What?"

"Sir." Carter shrugged. "Janet told us that Daniel and Myomis exist in a very fine balance. Their interaction is aided by the amount of dopamine in their system. We have no idea how two distinct personalities are, in fact, managing that."

"That's why he has all the headaches."

"Yes, sir. The strain on the body is intense. When they were medicated, the resulting imbalance suppressed Daniel's personality completely."

"And you think the," Jack waved a hand in the air. "Whatever it was knocked them off kilter again."

"Well, sir, more of a hope at this time. If I'm right, Daniel should come 'back' when their system stabilizes again."

"And if you're not right?"

"Prefer not to think about that option at the moment, sir." Sam replied quickly, the catch in her voice belying her concern as she checked over the Oannes.

"Was that lightning?" Myomis hissed through his teeth. "It feels as though I touched one of _Abi's_ machines." He groaned.

"Well, it was probably an Oannes defence mechanism."

"Okay... so we probably don't want to do that again." Jack said, looking up at the suddenly dangerous mural overhead.

"Easy." Sam helped him sit upright and offered him back his glasses. It was a testament to the way he was feeling that he shook his head and refused them.

"So, we think this one out. We have the constellations. We have a, and I use this word loosely, clue." Jack looked briefly down at Myomis and then craned his neck upwards again.

"The legacy of the Oannes." Myomis said, mimicking Jack's movement.

Carter sat down heavily, leaning back and propping herself upright on her arms. "Which was Omoroca? Or Babylon?"

"Perhaps it refers to Nem's seeming immortality." Teal'c guessed.

"Well, you knew Nedu, Myomis. Any ideas?" Jack squinted at the star map.

"I am sorry, Jack. None. Omoroca seems to be the choice, though."

"Oookay, so, which one meant Omoroca?" He looked at Sam. "Carter? You're the one who knows astrophysics."

"Yes, sir. Emphasis on the 'physics'. This," She waved her hand vaguely. "This is more Daniel's turf."

"Daniel?" Jack said hopefully, looking at the seated figure who returned his query with a sad shake of his head.

"No, Jack. Sorry." Myomis shrugged.

"Perhaps Daniel Jackson brought some reference materials with him." Teal'c provided another guess.

"Of course!" Carter slid around behind Myomis and grabbed Daniel's discarded pack. She unzipped it and started burrowing through it. "Wow. Sir, there's a half a dozen books in here. Where do I start?" She pulled out one, handing another to Myomis. They started flipping through them.

"Anything on Omoroca?"

"It's hard to say, sir. I can barely make anything out in this light."

"Yeah, Carter, why is that? Our lights went out the moment we got here."

"Alien technology, sir, I assume that it's some sort of dampening field designed to disable electronics of any sort."

"Why?"

"Perhaps we should endeavour to start a fire?" Teal'c brought them back on topic and looked around for flammable items.

"Not here. Not with no obvious exits. We run the risk of using the air up faster than it can be replaced." Jack waved off Teal'c's suggestion before snapping his fingers. "But," He ran his hands over the pockets of his flack jacket. "Here." He found a small object and tossed it to Carter.

"Lighter. Good call, sir."

The next half hour passed quietly with Myomis and Carter whispering and following up potential leads. Finally, Carter cleared her throat.

"Sir, we have it sort of narrowed down. Orion." She pointed to the relevant star clusters. Often associated in Babylonian times with Gilgamesh and the battles with the Scorpion Guards."

"Less of a legacy, and more of a tragedy in that one." Jack remarked. "Sounds like Ophiuchus."

"There's also Pisces. One of the interpretations is the god of Oannes."

"Nem."

"Yes, sir."

"But this seems not legacy but history." Myomis shrugged.

"Any others?"

"Sir, everything here relates to Babylon in some way. The Babylonians originally identified the zodiac. Everything they identified ties back to Oannes in some way. Capricorn was Ea, Pisces could be Nem, and the snake with Ophiuchus could even be Omoroca."

"And we saw how spectacularly that worked." Jack sighed.

"We'll keep at it, sir."

Jack hesitated for a moment before searching through his own pack and pulling out a thick astronomy book.

"Sir?" Carter held out his lighter to him, but didn't comment. He took it with a nod as she pulled her own lighter out of her vest pocket and opened it.

Another half hour passed.

"It has to be Hydra." Sam sighed, closing her book heavily.

"Samantha?" Myomis frowned curiously.

"We could be here for weeks, Myomis. We tried Ophiuchus, the only other one that seems to relate to Tiamat. Hydra has some references back to Tiamat. It's worth a shot."

Myomis turned back to Jack. The colonel shrugged.

"I shall try." He gathered himself to get up.

"No." Carter got up on her knees.

"I agree." Teal'c stated. "I do not believe Myomis and Daniel Jackson should risk another exposure to the energy weapon. I shall try."

"No." Jack sighed. "I'll do it. We don't know what that will do to Junior." He waved in the direction of Teal'c's Goa'uld larva.

"Please, sir. Let me. It's my idea and I'm closer."

"Alright, Carter. Just be careful."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone watched as Sam got up on one of the chairs and reached up.

"Wait." Jack said, staring at Myomis. "It's not Omoroca."

"Sir?" Carter paused, fingers touching the stars.

Jack went still, working away at this. "Omoroca was history. Lamashtu was present." He spoke in an odd monotone.

"Sir?" Sam frowned.

Myomis held up a hand, shushing her.

"All was done to protect your legacy."

Myomis nodded, eyes wide.

"Meslantaea and Lugal-Irra." They spoke in unison.

Jack blinked rapidly and cleared his throat, his tone returning to normal.

"I know this one." He sat down, pulling the book into his lap. "I know this one." He tapped his fingers on the pages of the book before looking back up at Myomis. "If Daniel's in there, we could really use his help."

Myomis shook his head wordlessly.

"Okay. Twins. The obvious one is then-"

"It would be Gemini, would it not, O'Neill?" Teal'c rumbled from his corner of the room, head up and searching the stars.

"Yeah." Jack's eyebrows went up. "Good guess, big guy."

"I am familiar with the oracular methodologies of your world. I find them most intriguing. For example, Daniel Jackson is what is termed a 'Cancer'. By most methodologies, the people of his classification are thought to be emotional, sensitive, intuitive as well as complex and insecure of their own worth with a keen interest in the past." He looked at Myomis. "There seems to be some correlation with this idea and I find that it may have some merit as a means of divination."

"Whoa, Teal'c. What have you been reading?"

"I have examined several texts on the subject."

"Sounds like you memorized them." Carter said.

"Oh yeah? What's mine?" Jack leaned forward.

"Your birthday is October 20th, is it not, O'Neill?"

"Yeah?"

"Then you are a Libra. They are considered easy-going and pleasant, as well as a natural diplomat and flirt." There was dead silence before Teal'c gravely continued. "Perhaps I must continue my studies."

"Hey!"

"Sir?" Carter cut them off before they could get going. "Gemini?"

"What? Right." He flicked the lighter on and flipped through pages. "Here. Roman legend, Castor and Pollux. Babylonian mythology; Meslantaea and Lugal-Irra."

"Which are they?" Myomis whispered looking up at the 'sky'.

"Uh." Jack swivelled around. "There." He pointed.

Myomis grabbed a chair and stood on it, fingers reaching up.

"Myomis!" Sam stepped forward. "Sir?"

"It is okay, Samantha." Myomis's voice was calm, sure. "Nedu was right to do such a thing." He brushed his fingers lightly over the figures before placing his fingers on the barely visible buttons. Taking a deep breath, he pushed them inward.

There was a muted click, and then the starlight began to dim. It went completely black. Sam put a hand up and rested it against Myomis's back, steadying him as he looked around.

"Now what?" Jack groused.

"O'Neill." Teal'c's voice rang out in the small chamber. "Look."

Everyone turned.

"The sun's coming up." Sam breathed as the odd planetarium began the change from night to day with a brilliant sunrise against the far wall. Sam helped Myomis off the chair. "There must be some sort of display mechanism in the walls." Sam craned her neck, looking around. "The buttons are static, but the imagery around them changes. It's fascinating. I wonder-"

Everyone turned as the heavy stone gate slid open. They blinked as their flashlights flickered on again.

"Yes!" Jack bent to pick up his pack. "Let's go."

- - - - -

A short while later they were still making their way down a long hallway. They were lucky in that they were following a straight path with no offshoots or branches. For all their twisted door locks, the Oannes had a fairly simplistic view of architecture.

They were walking along at a fairly brisk pace when Myomis lurched sideways, managed a strangled 'Jack' and slid down the wall.

"Daniel?" Jack threw himself to his knees, catching Daniel before he could topple over.

"Jack?" It was Daniel's voice that greeted him as he pulled Daniel upright, shining his flashlight in the other man's eyes.

"Talk to me, Daniel. What's going on?" Beside him, Teal'c dropped his pack to the ground and opened it up, searching through it. While he pulled out medical supplies, Jack continued to try to rouse Daniel. "Come on, buddy, talk to me. What's going on?"

"Can't..." Daniel's head tilted sideways, resting against the cool stone of the corridor wall.

Teal'c wrapped the pressure monitor around Daniel's arm, checking. Sam trained the light on the gauge so he could read.

"O'Neill, Daniel Jackson's blood pressure is exceedingly elevated."

Jack put his hands on either side of Daniel's face, forcing him to look forward. "Daniel? What's happening?"

Daniel shook his head, closing his eyes.

"O'Neill, allow me." Teal'c changed places with Jack, kneeling in front of Daniel as Sam supported the archaeologist from behind.

"Daniel Jackson, raise your hands."

Daniel frowned as he concentrated. He managed to raise one hand. The other rested stubbornly in his lap. "I can't... I can't move." He whispered, panic starting to break through his confusion.

"Oh God." Sam whispered. "Colonel, I think he's had a stroke."

"What?" Jack looked from her to Daniel.

"Jack? What's going on?' Daniel, drooped sideways, unable to support his weight completely. "Where are we?" His words were coming out slurred, the corner of his mouth drooping slightly.

"It's okay. You're okay." Jack helped stabilize him. "Myomis? You there?"

"Jack?" Myomis winced. "My head hurts very bad." Like Daniel, his voice was slurred, confused.

"Sir, we have to get them back to the SGC."

"I know, Captain." Jack's voice was terse, countering Sam's burgeoning panic.

"We have to find a way out of here."

"Captain." Jack's snapped in Drill Sergeant mode. "We'll get him out. We have to focus."

Carter nodded quickly, back in professional mode. "Yes sir. Sorry, sir."

"It's okay, Carter." He looked around. "We need a stretcher."

"I shall stay with Daniel Jackson."

"Good, Teal'c. You keep monitoring. Watch him. Sometimes stroke patients have trouble swallowing." He trailed off, but then gave his head a sharp shake, back to business. "Carter, we're going back to the planetarium. Maybe there's something there we can use."

Teal'c watched the pair all but sprint back to the planetarium before turning his gaze back on Daniel, still struggling to stay upright.

"What's happening, Teal'c? I think I fell." Daniel's voice was querulous, confused.

"You will be well, Daniel Jackson." He reassured the other man softly. It was rare that he felt so helpless, but sitting before the archaeologist, watching him struggle to stay upright, he understood some of Captain Carter's panic.

"I'm fine." Daniel twitched, trying to stop himself from sliding sideways. "I was just working on the translation. I didn't realise it had gotten so dark. I'll have to bring more torches next time." He gave Teal'c a smile, only half of his face responding. The Jaffa suppressed his wince and nodded.

"Indeed."

"Ah." Daniel's good hand clutched at his head.

Teal'c held out some aspirin, retrieved from his pack. There was little else he could do. Most stroke treatments, Doctor Fraiser had explained, required the diagnosis of the type of stroke before treatment. Giving blood thinners to a patient with a haemorrhaging bleed was as bad as giving clotting agents to a patient with a vascular blockage. Doctor Fraiser had surmised that Daniel's high blood pressure would likely result in a bleed, if a stroke was to occur.

Teal'c looked down as the flimsy plastic packet and returned it to his pack. The Doctor had taught him to recognise the signs, but only the SGC could treat Daniel Jackson.

"Ennugigi?" Myomis flailed about with his good arm, trying to stand. He spoke rapidly in Oannes until Teal'c grabbed his arm. Teal'c spoke no Oannes, but he remembered Myomis mentioning that he had learned some Goa'uld from the other Jaffa.

"Aray kree, Myomis." He spoke softly, to take some of the sting out of the words. Goa'uld was not a language to soothe people. It was a language of command. He put his hands on either side of Myomis's face. "Kree."

"Ennugigi?" Myomis's wide eyes sought him out in the dim corridor. "Nedu? Lamashtu?" He spoke in Oannes again, gesturing down the corridor. Teal'c managed to make out the word 'Omoroca'.

"Myomis, kegalo." Teal'c's voice held an uncharacteristic pleading tone. In their confusion, Daniel Jackson and Myomis were unintentionally fighting for control of their body. Doctor Fraiser had warned that such an occurrence would dramatically raise their blood pressure.

"La." Myomis sluggishly shook his head. "La, Ennugigi. Omoroca nakâsum. Ennugigi u Nedu... Lamashtu natsârum-ma. Ennugigi elûm archish."

"La." Teal'c replied fiercely. For some reason, the words were making sense to him. Myomis was begging him to leave, take Nedu and guard Omoroca and Lamashtu. "La." As O'Neill had done earlier, he placed his hands on Myomis's cheeks, guiding his gaze upward and forcing him to focus on Teal'c's face. "Myomis, pashahu. Nedu garabu. Pashahu."

"Nedu garabu?"

"Yes, Myomis. He is returning to you. Rest now."

He kept his hands on the other man's shoulders and Myomis nodded and relaxed, losing consciousness.

"O'Neill, you must hurry." Teal'c looked into the dark hallway, seeking the blessing of any true God who happened to smile down upon them at this critical moment.

- - - - -

"God damn it!" Jack swore as he lashed out, hurling a chair across the room. There was nothing in the room they could use. The chairs were too small to be lifted properly and the lone table was too big. Jack curled his hands around the brim of his cap and took a deep breath. He knew that Carter was watching him, torn between being a good officer and trying to console.

"Alright." He got himself back under control. "Is there anything we can use?"

"Maybe we can rig a harness out of out gear, sir."

Jack nodded. "Let's work with that, then." He scanned his flashlight around the room. "Let's get back to them."

"Yes, sir." Carter nodded as they jogged back to Daniel and Teal'c.

- - - - -

Teal'c sat quietly on the floor watching Myomis and Daniel sleep, their body limp, one arm curled up against their chest.

He looked up at the sound of footsteps and the bouncing reflection of flashlights as O'Neill and Carter jogged back.

"What did you find, O'Neill?"

"Nothing, Teal'c. Carter's going to improvise."

"I can transport Daniel Jackson."

"Uh, I don't know about that Teal'c." Sam shook her head. "If you take him in a fireman's carry, that leaves his head hanging down. I don't think that would be good."

"You are correct, Captain Carter. Perhaps I can carry him on my back. I did the same with my son when he was a child." He pivoted, crouching with his back to Daniel.

Jack hesitated for only a moment before dropping to his knees. "Daniel? Myomis?" He patted the man's face softly. "Come on, guys, we gotta get you up."

"Jack?" Daniel blinked at him, his speech still hesitant and slurred.

"Hey, buddy. How you doing?"

"Fine." Daniel closed his eyes. "Little headache."

"Okay, you just take it easy. Teal'c's going to give you a bit of a lift."

"What?" Daniel squinted at the imposing mass of the Jaffa waiting patiently.

"Little bit of a piggy-back ride for you."

Daniel frowned slowly. "Not a kid, Jack." He grunted as Jack helped pick him up.

"Don't I know it." Jack motioned for Carter to come and help. Daniel wasn't able to lift himself, and he was too heavy for Jack to lift up alone. Daniel managed to help enough to get himself settled on Teal'c's back.

Showing no sign of discomfort, Teal'c stood and then turned to his team-mates. Daniel's head lolled on his shoulder.

"Let us proceed, O'Neill."

"Alright, let's go."

- - - - -

They made it to the next door quickly. This time, the gate was at the end of a long room. The room was covered with a fine layer of dust, almost obscuring the furniture below.

"This looks like a dining hall." Carter swept her gun across the room, the light highlighting the dishes.

Teal'c's body shook as Daniel sneezed. The archaeologist nearly fell backwards, saving himself only by tightening his arms around Teal'c's shoulders.

"Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c whispered.

"Sir, Daniel's moving both arms." Carter said, desperate hope filling her voice. She lowered her weapon and stepped forward. "Daniel? Daniel, can you hear me?" She ran her fingers through his hair, lightly urging him to wake up.

"Sam?" Daniel's eyes scrunched shut and he frowned. "What's going on?"

"Teal'c, let's put him down." Jack moved behind Teal'c and leaned his chest against Daniel's back. As Teal'c lowered Daniel's legs, Jack was there to wrap his arms around Daniel's chest and drop slowly to the ground.

He almost lost his grip when Daniel sneezed again.

They made it safely to the ground where Daniel stubbornly sat up, resisting Jack's attempts to get him to lie down.

"I'm fine."

"Sure you are." Jack placated him. "How's Myomis?"

"I am okay." Myomis leaned his head back, shaking his bangs out of his eyes. "What happened?"

"Well, you had a stroke." She looked at Jack, uncertain. "Didn't they?"

Jack just shrugged. "Lift up your hands." He held his own hands up. Daniel touched his palms to Jack easily. "Move your feet." Daniel rocked his feet from side

to side. "Look at me." Daniel's confused gaze met Jack's. The Colonel was relieved to see that both pupils were the same size, both sides of his mouth were even and both eyebrows were raised inquiringly.

"This remission may only be temporary, sir." Carter cautioned reluctantly.

"What happened?"

"Doctor Fraiser warned that Daniel Jackson may experience symptoms of a stroke. In the best case scenario, they would be only temporary."

"How is that, Teal'c?" Sam asked, still touching Daniel's back, as much to reassure himself as to comfort him.

"She warned that he may experience a transient ischemic event."

"What?" Jack's gaze swung between Daniel and Teal'c.

"It's like a warning shot. All the symptoms of a stroke, but only temporary." Daniel spoke slowly, but clearly.''

"Are you sure, Teal'c?"

"It would appear to be the case, Captain Carter." Teal'c let a rare almost- grin cross his features.

Sam looked down at Daniel. "So, this could still be temporary or happen again."

Jack grinned widely and touched the palm of his hand to Daniel's cheek. "Whatever. Gift horses, Captain."

"We should still endeavour to exit this structure with all haste." Teal'c looked around.

"I can help." Daniel leaned forward, attempting to get to his feet.

"You can sit and relax." Jack helped him up just far enough to deposit him into a chair. Daniel sneezed again as a cloud of dust flew up around him. Before he had straightened up, Jack had a packet of Kleenex at the ready, Teal'c had antihistamines and Sam was rubbing his back soothingly.

"I'm okay." Daniel said, looking up at the concerned faces of his friends. He rubbed a shaky hand across his forehead. "I'm a little scared, I guess, but I'm okay."

"Well, you get to sit this one out."

A flash of exasperation crossed Daniel's features. "Unless you've suddenly started to read Oannes, I think we better take a look at the gate."

"Carter?" Jack look expectantly at the Captain.

"Uh, no, sir. My ability to think or process in Oannes is pretty linked to Lamashtu and she's being kind of quiet, sir."

"Alright, Daniel, take a look. Then I want you sitting and relaxing. You guys got it?"

One of them, Myomis or Daniel, he wasn't sure which, tossed him a sloppy salute in lieu of conversation.

They made their way to the door, squatting and checking on the writing. Myomis read it out quickly. "I have gathered my family to me, savouring their company as much as the fine food."

"I'm beginning not to like Nedu." Jack sighed. "I don't suppose 'red square on blue box' would have been a reasonable request?"

"Well, I'm sure the Goa'uld would have appreciated that." Daniel said dryly.

"I'm just saying." Jack shrugged.

"So, what's the line of the poem for this room?" Carter looked around.

Teal'c cocked his head. "Where dust is their food, clay their bread."

"Reaching a little, but okay, I can go with the whole communal dining thing." Jack looked around. "What are we supposed to do?"

He turned back to Daniel who walked from the door to the pile of gear. Daniel retrieved his pack from Sam and was rifling through it. Jack watched as Daniel unrolled a small felt wrapping with a selection of brushes. He picked up a wide one with soft, fine bristles and walked over to the table.

"Daniel? Whatcha doing?"

"What I do best, Jack." Daniel said with a shrug. He twirled the edge of the brush with the tips of his fingers, removing the dust from the plates without applying any pressure. He bent down, examining the dishes. Jack was amazed to see that Daniel didn't even so much as sniffle. The allergies that plagued him disappeared when he concentrated on his tasks. Even the residual weakness for the near-stroke had faded.

Jack watched Daniel constantly, alert for any sign of fatigue or weakness. He was peripherally aware of Carter doing the same. Teal'c was ostensibly on watch, but even he was half-turned to follow Daniel's movements. In short order, Daniel emerged from a cloud of dust, wiping his face on his sleeve. "They're plates."

"Wow." Jack's eyebrows went up. "Those plate shaped objects are plates? Thank God for archaeology."

"Plates which," Daniel interrupted. "Appear to have the names of the various Oannes of Nem's family drawn on them. There are about twenty five." Daniel looked around. "There's another table." He slapped his large brush against his pant leg, releasing another cloud of dust. He leaned over the table, slowly clearing the surface.

"Look at this." Daniel stepped back. All signs of stress or discomfort had vanished as he worked. Jack stepped forward. As he leaned over, Daniel added. "Don't touch."

"Thank you, Daniel." Jack rolled his eyes and then checked out the table top. He frowned. "That's a pressure plate." He held out his hand. Daniel handed him a smaller, lighter brush. Jack moved carefully, like he was disarming a mine, and cleared out the area around the plate.

He crouched carefully and flicked his flashlight on, illuminating the area under the table, and then the legs. He used his brush on two places.

"A pressure plate, most likely weight sensitive but there's some odd colouring on the top that may be another form of sensor. There are faint traces of electronics on the table legs there and there." He pointed. Looks like the table leg is also lightly attached to the floor, probably a continuation of the electronics from the pressure pads."

He looked up to find Daniel staring at him, mouth half open, glasses perched on the end of his nose. "Well, thank God for Special Ops."

Jack raised his brush and swirled it over the lenses of Daniel's glasses, removing the film of dust that had settled there. He grinned smugly before stepping aside as Daniel sneezed.

"What does it mean?" Carter asked as Daniel retrieved his handkerchief and blew his nose loudly, the sound echoing through the chamber.

"I think we have to set the table."

"What?" Carter looked around.

"Well, the door talks about gathering the family. Maybe we have to put the plates associated with the symbols on top of the table. It's probably calibrated to accept the specific weight of the plates." Daniel shoved his handkerchief back into his pocket.

"That's a bit of a stretch."

Daniel shrugged. "Well, what can it hurt?" He bent over the plates, looking at them.

"Well, you, for one." Jack shouldered him aside. "I said 'sit' and I mean it." He stared at Daniel until the other man threw up his hands and sat forcefully on a chair. His petulant act was only slightly ruined by the cloud of dust that billowed up and made him double over with a sneeze.

"Okay, so we set the table. Any plates we should use?"

"It's a little difficult to tell from over here." Daniel said pointedly. "However, I did see that each plate appeared to have different symbols. Presumably we have to locate the symbols for the family members and use those plates to set the table."

"Okay, so go with what we know. What do we have?"

"Well," Daniel began to rise, only to give up as Jack turned and raised a finger. "What do you see?"

Jack blew out a long sigh as he looked at the plate, moving dust aside with the brush. "Uh, this is all a little interpretive."

"I think, perhaps, you need my assistance." Myomis said. "Come on." His body language switched fluidly to Daniel's again. "Jack, you need us on this."

Jack wanted to protest, but couldn't. "Alright, fine. Just- just keep your distance." Daniel's mini-stroke had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. He looked at the nearest plate. "Circle with wings?"

"Winged disk." Daniel frowned, but his expression soon morphed into one of comprehension as Myomis spoke. "Shamash."

"Oannes?"

"I do not believe so. But he was not of the immediate family."

"Okay." Jack waved his hands to motion everyone back. He slowly lifted the plate and set it down on the floor. Everyone waited for a long moment, looking around as if lightning might strike at any moment. Finally, Jack nodded. "Okay. Okay." His voice was relieved. "We can move these plates. Next?" He picked up one and cocked his head. "A circle? Kinda looks like a crescent moon."

"I know this one. Wait, don't help."

"I-" Jack was about to deny offering any help when he realised that Daniel was talking to Myomis. He looked at Carter who offered him a half smile and a shrug.

Daniel snapped his fingers. "Ushkaru. The crescent moon of Sin."

"The moon of Sin? That's a little dramatic."

"No, the Goddess Sin. That's her name. She's-" Daniel waved a hand. "Never mind. Myomis?"

"Not her, I think."

"Why not?" Jack held up the plate.

"Not Goa'uld. But not immediate family. Judging by the size of the table, we probably won't have room for too many plates."

"Okay, next?"

"Lightning."

"Adad." Myomis said quickly.

Jack stared thoughtfully at them. "Are you two competing over this?"

"What?" Daniel blinked innocently at him.

"You are, aren't you? You're trying to answer first." Daniel mumbled something incoherent. Jack gave up. "Goa'uld or good?"

"Goa'uld." Myomis responded.

"Shovel?"

"Spade." Daniel replied. Myomis added. "Belus."

Jack put that one aside quickly. "Okay, blue, watery thing."

"Let us see that one, Jack." Daniel held his hands out. Myomis sighed softly, breathing through his teeth. "This is Omoroca."

"Well, alright then." Jack plucked the plate from Myomis's hands. He made little shooing motions at the others, motioning them back. He held the rim of the plate by just his fingertips, looking around once before carefully placing it on the table. He released it quickly and stepped away, waiting.

Jack clenched his fist like his favourite team had scored a goal and said 'yes!' quietly. He turned back to the plates. "Okay, we got tombstones."

Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Tombstones?" He craned his neck and checked. "Oh... tablets. That's..." He bit his lip. Myomis answered first. "Enlil." Daniel give a slight grin and snapped his fingers. "So close."

Jack put that plate to the side. "Next one." He remembered enough of the names to dismiss that one. "More blue water things?"

"Deep blue?" Daniel took the plate. "This is Nem." He pivoted and placed the plate on the other table at the opposite end.

"Hey!" Jack burst out.

Daniel stared back at him over the rims of his glasses. "It's obvious."

"I know this one." Carter held up a plate with two canine images on it. "It's Lamashtu, isn't it?"

Daniel swept his arm sideways, motioning her to the table. "Exactly."

"Whoa. Ugly." Jack held up another one.

"Pazuzu." Teal'c replied. "I remember this image from Dilmun." He picked up another one. "This is Humwawa."

Jack made a face at the naked figure with the malformed face. "Thank God we got the fully dressed version."

Myomis picked up a pair of plates and took them back to the other table. He held them up before placing them on the table. Identical plates showing the Gemini constellation.

"Meslantaea and Lugal-Irra." Carter nodded.

"Okay, so we got Meslantaea, Lugal-Irra, Lamashtu, Nem and Omoroca. We need Myomis, Nedu and Ennugigi."

"Well, here's a scorpion." Sam fished a plate out of the pile.

"Sweet." Jack took the plate and placed it on the table. "What's Ennugigi?" He looked up at Teal'c who raised an eyebrow in return.

Sam sorted through the plates. "A cap with horns. Sheep's head. Here's another scorpion, but there's a symbol on it."

Myomis looked at it. "This is Ennugigi. This symbol was once on his forehead." He handed the plate to Teal'c, who took it with a sharp bow. The Jaffa carefully placed the plate on the table.

"Just leaves you." Jack looked over at Myomis. "What's your sign?"

"I do not know." Myomis shook his head. Daniel took over, looking pensive. "Myomis is a craftsman god. Tools or something like that."

"Well, we got animals, cows, sheep, stars, dragons, monsters... more blue."

"What's that one?" Daniel leaned forward.

"Looks like rain." Sam frowned.

"That's it." Daniel plucked the plate from Sam's fingers. "Myomis was the child of the salt water and the fresh water. In later years, his symbol was rain." He then frowned as Myomis took over. "I am?"

Daniel carefully placed the plate on the table and looked up.

With a grinding sound, the heavy stone gateway started to slide aside.

"Nice." Jack breathed before picking up both his and Daniel's packs, ignoring Daniel's soft protest. "Teal'c, take point. Let's see the next one."

- - - - -

The next gate came into site after only a short walk. This time, the small room by the gate was unfurnished. The floors and rounded ceiling were plain gold covered, gleaming dully as it was illuminated by their flashlights. Lanterns flickered into life as they drew near, humming faintly.

"Oh, this looks familiar." Jack said as he looked around.

"This is Goa'uld." Daniel turned in a circle. His flashlight skipped over the raised hieroglyphs on the wall.

"This appears to be a recreation of a Goa'uld room." Teal'c said with a faint note of disapproval in his voice.

"What's the line for this room?"

Everyone looked at Teal'c. He stared back for a moment before replying solemnly, "They are clothed like birds, with feathers."

"And the gate?"

Jack watched as Myomis deciphered the Akkadian script. "I have dined with my loved ones. Now we prepare our defences. Only in understanding our enemy can you truly prepare."

"Really hate that guy." Jack whispered.

"Well, there has to be an answer." Sam looked around. "Something about the hieroglyphics. What do they say?"

Daniel lifted one hand, shrugging. "That's just it. They don't really say anything. They're just a collection of symbols. It's like someone placed them out of order." He brushed his fingers over one. "Look at this. It's a passage I've seen before from the Solar Litany in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. 'Homage to you, O ye gods of the Dekans in Anu, and to you, O ye Hememet-spirits in Kher Aha, and...' Then it comes to an end and there's some random symbols in there. Here..." He moved over sideways, running his fingers over the text. "It picks up again here. '...to thee, O Unti, who art the most glorious of all the gods who are hidden in Anu,' "

"While that is fascinating," Jack drawled. "Will it help?"

"Well, yes." Daniel said before his gaze slid back to the wall. "Possibly... Maybe."

"In other words... no."

"Perhaps this is misdirection, Daniel Jackson."

"What do you mean, Teal'c?"

"Misdirection is commonly used to lead an enemy into a position counter to- "

"No, no. Uh, actually, I know the meaning of the word. What I meant was how would the misdirection function?"

"Perhaps you are being distracted by the archaeological aspects of the tomb."

"That makes sense." Sam nodded. "Maybe it has to deal more with the inscription on the door than the writings on the wall."

"Oh." Daniel's eyebrows went up. He looked around and nodded. "I believe you are right, Samantha." Myomis added. "The door mentioned understanding enemies. What was the phrase related to this room?"

"Something about birds of a feather..." Jack shrugged.

"Okay." Daniel pointed his finger in the air. "Okay. Then this is the opposite of the last test. These nonsense symbols aren't nonsense. They're Oannes symbols. Maybe stylized, but they're representations of the Oannes."

He winced, unintentionally blocking Myomis in his excitement. They took a deep breath and centered themselves. Sam stepped up, rubbing his shoulder lightly.

"You guys okay?"

Daniel shut his eyes tightly and cleared his throat. "Yeah." He shook his head lightly. "Anyway, sorry Myomis. What were you about to say?"

"I think he was about to say that you should sit down and let Teal'c check your blood pressure." Jack held up a finger as Daniel opened his mouth to protest. "Ah. Sit." Continuing the one-word sentences, he waved his hand at Daniel. "Teal'c?"

With ill-concealed grace, Daniel sat gingerly down with his back against the wall as Teal'c ran through a series of checks, even noting the results in a little notebook.

"Now." Jack turned and looked at the wall. "We just, what, push the buttons that look like the symbols for the bad guys in the other room?"

"Well, I hardly think-"

Everyone went quiet as he pressed a symbol on the wall. He froze with it partially pressed in.

"That probably wasn't..." He trailed off.

"No." Daniel put out a hand, and Teal'c pulled him to his feet. They shuffled uneasily back.

"Hey," Jack turned his head, fingers still pressing the small symbol into the wall. "Where are you two going?" He turned half around to see Carter doing the same. "Carter?"

She stopped and swallowed nervously. "Sir?"

"Are you going to help me?"

"Jack, I think you're just going to have to let it go." Daniel leaned against the wall.

"Oh, good plan, Daniel. And where will you be?"

"Well, I'll be over here."

"That leaves me here."

Daniel nodded slowly. "Yes, it appears so. I can switch if you want. Maybe Myomis and I can-"

"Nope. Stand back because here I come."

Jack blew out a short breath, took several practice lunges and then with a quick move he hurled himself sideways. Everyone ducked and covered as the symbol slid out with an ominous click.

- - - - -


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Thirty-One**_

Jack hurled himself sideways, covering his head as he hit the floor and rolled. Carter ducked and Teal'c shoved Daniel behind him, providing cover.

Everyone froze.

Nothing happened.

Jack looked up as Myomis's head popped up from behind Teal'c.

"Nothing has happened?"

Jack looked around at the small metal tile lying on the ground. He let out a long breath. "Nope. Still here."

Everyone looked around nervously.

"So?" Jack got slowly to his feet.

"So?" Daniel responded, coming closer.

"So?" Jack responded, more out of spite than query.

"Uh, Sir?" Carter cut in. She had made her way to the small tile and picked it up as Daniel and Jack were speaking. "Sir, this has that same odd coloured metal on the back."

Daniel put one hand up and wagged his index finger in the air. "I think you were on to something, Jack." He stepped around Teal'c, who was still hovering, and went over to the doorway.

He dropped to his knees and pulled the soft, wide-bristled brush from his back pocket. "Here." He made broad strokes with the brush, sweeping the accumulated dirt and dust out of the way. "Here. Give me the tile, Sam." He held out a hand, peering at Sam.

"Uh, Sir?" Carter held the tile and looked back and forth between Daniel and Jack.

"I shall test this one." Teal'c stepped smoothly forward and plucked the tile from Sam's fingers. Teal'c turned back to Daniel. "What do you suggest, Daniel Jackson?"

"Well, I suggest that I can do this myself, Teal'c."

"And we're all impressed, Daniel." Jack said dryly. "Now, move it and let the man work."

"Jack." Daniel started, frustrated by his team-mates' hovering.

"Daniel." Jack cut him off. "Please." He left it at that, but Daniel nodded his head and got to his feet, shuffling off to the side. Myomis leaned against a wall, looked over his shoulder at the tiles, thought better of it, and stood up again.

Jack held a hand up, leaving the choice up to Teal'c.

Cautiously, Teal'c touched the tile to the door. Everyone jumped as the tile jumped out of his hands and stuck to the door as if magnetised.

When no lightning was forthcoming, Jack gave a little grin and nodded.

"Alright." He made a sweeping motion with his hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, find your bad guys."

At that, SG1 fanned out and looked for the symbols of the Goa'ulded Oannes. Teal'c and Carter searched one side, aided by Teal'c's memory of Daniel's notes. Daniel, Myomis and Jack took the opposite wall. The door had no tiles on it, and the fourth side was the open passageway.

Once they had searched through, Jack had them switch sides and check again. Sure enough, Teal'c found a tile that had been missed, and Daniel found two that were missed on the other wall. They gathered again in the middle of the room. Daniel and Sam sat on the ground while Jack and Teal'c loomed over them. They sorted through the tiles carefully, trying to narrow down the Goa'uld that might be used on the door.

"Okay, so we have Ea, Sarpanitu, Damkina, Ellil, Papsukkel, Anu, Pazuzu, Humwawa, and Antu." Daniel looked at the tiles at his feet. "Belus is on the door." He looked up. "Now what?"

"Well... let's plug them in and see if it opens. Who's next on the hit parade?" Jack held out his hand.

"Ea." Teal'c responded before the others could.

Myomis nodded slowly. "This makes sense. Do you think that this must be in any order?"

"Oh." Sam's mouth formed a circle. "Oh, that's a good point, Myomis. Sir, we could be risking a repeat of the, uh, lightning."

"Oh, for crying out loud. We'll never get out of here at this rate." Jack bent over, grabbed all the tiles, and walked over to the door. "First?"

"Ea." Daniel said, looking around rapidly. He slowly got to his feet, assisted by Teal'c. "He's a goat-fish."

"Which?"

"What?"

"Which one?"

"Both."

"A goat fish?"

"Yes. The precursor to the zodiac symbol Capricorn." Daniel made a rolling motion with one hand. "It's part of the whole-"

"Okay, goat-fish it is." Jack snapped the tile into place on the door. Again, everyone waited.

Nothing happened. "Cool. Next?"

"Uh." Daniel paused, allowing Myomis to step forward. "Next is Anu, then Ellil, and then Pazuzu."

Jack held up the tiles until Myomis nodded in the affirmative. One by one, he placed them on the door.

"Next?"

"Ah, Damkina or Sarpanitu?" Myomis fumbled. "I am not certain, Jack."

Jack was quiet, staring at the tiles. "It's familiar to me." He sorted rapidly through the tiles. "Sarpanitu was next. Then Damkina." He dropped one of the tiles to the floor. "Papsukkel was not worth notice." He snapped the next couple of tiles on the door. "Last was Humwawa."

As he placed the tile on the door, a grinding noise filled the hallway.

"Well done, sir." Carter looked up as the doorway opened.

"It's all in what you know, Captain." Jack gave a cocky grin and motioned for everyone to gather up their gear as they continued onward. Daniel and Teal'c exchanged curious glances, but said nothing. Perhaps Jack was being helped out by Nedu's memories. Whatever it was, it was speeding the process along.

- - - - -

"Are we there yet?" Jack whined as the next gate came into view.

"There are, in fact, two more doors, O'Neill."

"What's the line for this gate?" Carter asked.

Jack turned on his flashlight. "Looks like another 'darkness' riddle." The tunnel in front of the team was growing progressively darker. Unlike last time, their lights were staying lit.

"Uh..." Daniel hazarded a guess. "They see no light, they dwell in darkness."

"Great. More fumbling in the dark." Jack took a deep breath as the lights finally gave out and they entered the black corridor. "Here we go, kids, stay close."

Everyone scanned their lights around. Jack was in the center, Teal'c on his left and Carter on his right, subconsciously forming a defensive half- circle around Daniel.

"Teal'c?" Jack asked, training his light on the ceiling.

"There is no furniture, O'Neill, nor are their carvings or engravings on the walls."

"Okay. Carter?"

"There are six metal plates on the door, sir." Carter scanned her light over them.

"Daniel and Myomis?"

"Nothing, Jack. No writings or carvings. No tiles or plates."

"Okay, move forward carefully and check out the door." Jack's light dropped to the floor, helping Daniel pick out a path.

Daniel cleared his throat as he crouched next to the door. "Tell me the way to the ones who betrayed us."

Jack made a motion that was half grin, half wince. "Thank you Mister Obscure." He waved Daniel back as Teal'c stepped up to the metal plates on the wall. Teal'c touched a finger cautiously to the plate.

"O'Neill." Carter, Daniel and Jack craned their necks, looking at the plate.

"It glows." Daniel breathed, eyebrows rising.

"It must be some luminescent properties of the controls on the plate, sir... possibly a similar technology to that used in the planetarium." Carter lowered her weapon and touched another plate. "Not heat or cold. That's amazing."

Jack moved beside her, reaching his hand out and touching the plate. Daniel and Myomis whispered back and forth behind him.

"Uh, hey guys? I think we know-" Daniel frowned at the smiley-face Jack traced on the smooth metal. "Jack? I don't think that's..."

His words died away as lightning flared from hidden sources and enveloped three-quarters of SG1. Daniel was left staring, open-mouthed as the lightning played out and disappeared, leaving the others twitching on the ground.

"Jack?"

Myomis took over, helping Daniel. He dropped quickly to his knees, pulling the others away from the wall by touch, his flashlight discarded on the ground. The flashlights of the other three members of the team were dead, blown out by the lightning. Moving quickly, he checked pulses and turned the others so that they were on their sides. He checked Sam first, then Jack and finally Teal'c.

As he was turning Teal'c, the Jaffa's arm shot out and gripped him tightly around the throat.

"Who is there?" Teal'c demanded, the tremble in his voice evident. He could not sustain the grip for long, and Myomis twisted away from him, sliding backwards and curling up against the wall.

"I am Myomis." He whispered, rubbing his throat. "You have remarkable stamina."

"Myomis?" Teal'c's harsh tone changed to concern. "Are you uninjured? What of Daniel Jackson?"

"We are well, Teal'c." Daniel came forward at that point. "Yeah. The, um, lightning missed us."

"What of O'Neill and Captain Carter?" Teal'c whispered.

"Safe. Unconscious." Teal'c listened as Daniel felt his way over to his flashlight.

Teal'c grunted as he sat bolt upright, staying perfectly still as he reoriented himself.

"Don't push it, Teal'c. That lightning takes it out of you."

He felt, rather than saw, Teal'c patting his own chest and arms enquiringly. "I feel no loss, Daniel Jackson."

"Uh, yeah. Moving on. Help Sam." Daniel retrieved his flashlight and noted the light was turning a dim yellow as the batteries drained. He shook it a couple of times and was rewarded by a momentarily brighter light. He turned his flashlight beam to the floor, seeking out Jack.

"Ah." Jack squinted and rolled away from the bright light, curling up in a ball with his hands over his head.

Daniel dropped to his knees, touching Jack's shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay."

"Sha bashûm?" Jack cried out harshly, rolling to his knees.

"Ja-?" Daniel started, only to be cut off as Jack moved in the darkness. A hard fist took Daniel in the forehead, spinning him around. Jack moved quickly, grabbing Daniel's wrist and wrestling with him until he had him secured in a headlock.

"Ja-" Daniel started again, only to cut off with a wheezing gurgle as Jack's forearm threatened to crush his throat.

"O'Neill." Teal'c rasped, climbing shakily to his knees. "Do not do this."

"Sir?" Carter said groggily, turned half on her side.

"Sanâqum, Goa'uld."

"What?" Daniel's eyes went wide as he translated frantically. "Jack, what the hell?" He trailed off and arched his neck, trying to relieve the pressure, both from Jack's arm and Myomis's presence. He could feel his blood pressure spiking. He skin started to feel too tight, his heartbeat pulsed in his ears, and he started to get dizzy. "Myomis?" He croaked.

He felt Jack flinch at the word. "Myomis chalâqum, Goa'uld. Anumma, archish shatârum."

"Colonel, please." Sam forced herself upright. "Daniel's sick. You can't do this." She picked up Daniel's flashlight and trained it on Jack and Daniel. Jack stood with his back to the gate. Daniel was barely conscious, the back of his head resting on Jack's shoulder.

Teal'c spoke softly. "Captain Carter. This is not O'Neill."

"Nedu." Myomis whispered, flinching as he was shaken lightly in reprimand. "Nedu, la."

"Shatârum, Goa'uld."

Myomis held up a shaking hand, preparing to write, as Nedu had ordered. "Mînum?"

"Kunukk-ishtu Chapa'ai."

"Chapa'ai, Teal'c. They're talking about the Stargate." Sam whispered as Teal'c, still in a crouch, crept sideways.

"Jaffa, la!" Nedu commanded, slamming Daniel up against the gate, pinning his head to the stone wall with one hand while he turned to face Teal'c. "La û annûm bel-Goa'uld shebêrum."

"La, ach-Nedu..." Myomis tried. He made a brief effort to push away from the gate, only to be rewarded by a sharp punch to the kidney by Nedu's free hand. After that, he stayed still.

"La!" Daniel grunted as Nedu's hand held the back of his neck, grinding him into the unmoving gate. Pinning Daniel, Nedu pointed to Carter. "Archish shatârum."

"Uh." Carter looked between Daniel and Teal'c, her flashlight bobbing. "What?"

"He's telling you to write." Daniel spoke rapidly, scrunching his eyes shut as Nedu gave him a warning shake.

"Write what?"

"Stargate address. Seals from... Chapa'ai. Think he... wants... write symbols."

"Which one first?"

"Ach-Nedu, ajjûm kunukk?" Myomis asked.

"'Ach-Nedu'?" The Oannes controlling O'Neill's body paused at Myomis's use of the word. He cut off the thoughts, growling softly and shaking his head. "Pa-bil-sag."

"Pa-bil-sag?" Daniel frowned, thinking. "Archer." He licked his lips. "Need to draw...symbol. Archer... Sagittarius. I can help-"

Sam's fond smile was barely visible in the gloomy tunnel. "Got it." She had spent several years working on the gate before Daniel had been recruited. She had run umpteen many mathematical models on the symbols, never realising that they had a far simpler interpretation.

"Sam." Daniel started to speak.

"Archish." Nedu cautioned. Teal'c shuffled his feet at Daniel's wince, but they were unable to help.

"Daniel Jackson?" The tone of disapproval was clearly evident in Teal'c's question.

"Fine, Teal'c. Maybe, better hurry. Get through... gate. Maybe Jack will... wake up... or we talk... sense into him."

Looking over her shoulder at Nedu's stony expression, Sam quickly traced the image of Sagittarius on the first metal plate.

"Daniel?"

"Sugi." Nedu cut them off impatiently.

"Sugi. Old Man. Perseus."

"Perseus. Is that the one that's-?"

"Backward 'C'. Thick bottom."

"This one?"

"La! Sugi. Sugi." Nedu sighed, making a slicing motion with his hand. "Pashâtum."

"That's Auriga. Perseus... other way." Daniel tried to grin, his face still pressed up against the gate. "Erase it."

Sam mimicked Nedu's motion, waving her hand in front of the second metal plate. The illuminated symbol dimmed and vanished.

"Try again. More bottom heavy."

"I know which one you mean now." Sam deftly drew in the symbol.

"Mashtab-ba-galgal."

"Twins."

"Gemini." Sam drew in the symbol.

"Zubi."

"What's Zubi?" Sam frowned. Daniel's eyes were closed. "Daniel?"

"Myomis?" Teal'c's commanding tone made Myomis's eyes snap open.

"Okay, Teal'c." Myomis whispered.

"Oh, you are so not." Sam growled, coming closer.

"Neh..." Nedu grunted a warning tone, pulling Myomis away from the wall, one arm returning to his throat. "Zubi." He barked out.

"Auriga." Daniel whispered. "Sam... I don't..."

"We're hurrying, Daniel. Please, hold on." With only slightly shaking hands, Sam quickly sketched the figure on the fourth metal plate.

Nedu nodded brusquely at Sam's drawing. "Sipa-zi-anna."

"Shepherd of Anu." Daniel slurred, his head drooping.

"Daniel?" Sam's voice betrayed a hint of desperation. "Daniel, I don't know that one."

"Shepherd."

"Daniel? Come on. I need your help."

"Orion." Daniel brought his head up with what appeared to be a monumental effort. A small trickle of blood trailed down from his nose. "Orion."

"Oh God, Daniel. Okay. Okay. I can do that." Sam drew in the symbol. "There we go. Last one." She turned to face Nedu. "What's the last one?"

"Gud-anna."

"Okay. Daniel?"

"Sam." Daniel sagged in Nedu's arms, forcing the Oannes off balance. "Sam, this one's mine."

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c got it instantly.

"Oh, no." Sam figured it out as well. "No you don't. Daniel, this could kill you."

Daniel arched back as Nedu growled, not trusting the delay.

"Well..." He gasped. "If this doesn't... Nedu just might. Myomis, delay." He closed his eyes as Myomis came forward. "Nedu." The Oannes croaked. "Myomis bashûm. Myomis." He then rattled off a long string of Oannes, trying to appeal to Nedu.

Nedu reeled back a moment, his grip on Daniel easing slightly. Everyone froze, hoping the words would sink in.

"Sarrum!" Nedu growled, shaking his head. "Goa'uld sarrum."

"Sam." Daniel said quickly as Nedu's arm tightened around his throat once more. "The last symbol is Taurus."

"Daniel!" Sam cried out as the archaeologist slammed an elbow backward, impacting Nedu's ribs. With Nedu off guard, Daniel pulled away and spun. Nedu recovered quickly, grabbing Daniel's upper arms as Daniel slammed him up against the gate, momentarily reversing their positions.

"I'm sorry, guys." He grunted as he swiped his fingertips over the sixth metal pad. The action created a nonsense sixth symbol.

"Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c bellowed as the trap activated once more, and lightning illuminated the chamber.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Thirty-Two**_

"Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c picked his way over to the still bodies.

"I got him, Teal'c." Sam said, pulling herself up off the floor. She had lunged for Daniel as he activated the trap, yanking him free of Nedu's grip. They had fallen heavily to the floor, leaving Nedu caught in the trap by himself.

Now, Daniel was unconscious, his weight pinning Sam's legs to the floor, his head cradled in her arms. Sam felt for a pulse, reassuring herself before shimmying backwards, dragging Daniel with her.

"Teal'c, secure the Colonel. We can't risk a repeat of what just happened."

"O'Neill is quite fortunate. The Goa'uld version of this weapon would have killed him."

Teal'c touched a hand to her shoulder in passing as he picked his way over to O'Neill, guided only by the failing flashlight. He flipped Jack on to his stomach, checking both his breathing and pulse first. Using his belt, he tied O'Neill's hands behind his back. He secured O'Neill's feet using the Colonel's own belt.

He eased Jack onto his side and then made his way over to Sam as she tried to settle Daniel. Sam had a handkerchief out and wetted with her canteen. She was gently sponging the bruises and scrapes on Daniel's face.

"God, this is going to kill the Colonel." She whispered.

"O'Neill will be fine." Teal'c reassured her. "Just as we do not blame Daniel Jackson for the actions of Myomis, we shall not hold O'Neill responsible for the confused actions of Nedu."

"We won't. But what about the Colonel?" Sam unconsciously hugged Daniel closer, smoothing back his hair.

"We shall traverse that overpass when we arrive at its location."

Sam smiled as Teal'c took out the monitoring equipment and began checking Daniel's vitals. "Yeah. You're right."

- - - - -

"Gah." Jack went instantly from asleep to awake, curling up in a tight ball.

"Colonel?"

Jack tested the bonds at his ankles and wrist and then froze. "Carter?"

"You're alright, sir. Teal'c checked you out."

"I'm tied up, Carter."

"Yes, sir. You'll have to keep your voice down, sir."

"I'm tied up, Carter!" Jack's voice grew louder with irritation.

"O'Neill, you will wake Daniel Jackson." Teal'c cautioned.

This shut up Jack instantly. He rolled onto his stomach, craning his neck. "Daniel? What's wrong with Daniel?"

"High blood pressure, sir." Sam hedged. She hesitated only slightly before asking him a question. "Colonel? How much do you remember?" She nodded her head, indicating that Teal'c should go and untie Jack.

Teal'c knelt behind Jack, working the ties on his ankle free.

"Uh." Jack frowned. "Lightning. Weird dreams."

"Dreams, sir?" Sam carefully kept herself between Daniel and Jack.

"Yeah, dreams. How's Daniel?" He tried to see around Carter. "Where's Daniel?"

"Sleeping, sir. What were your dreams?"

Jack shook his head, distracted by Daniel. "Dreams. I was Nedu, and I was surrounded by Goa'uld."

"What happened?"

"Carter-"

"It's important, sir."

"I took one hostage. I took the Goa'uld hostage. I made the others open the..." He trailed off.

"Sir?"

"Teal'c? Untie me." O'Neill's voice went hard.

"Sir."

"Now!" Jack waited for half a second, but when neither Teal'c nor Carter moved to release him, he rolled to his knees and crawled over to Carter, looking for Daniel.

"Colonel."

"God damn it, Carter, I grabbed the Goa'uld, and I hurt him until they obeyed. That was my dream. Now just let me see Daniel and..."

He ground to a halt as Carter let Daniel's slowly fading flashlight shine on the sleeping archaeologist. He looked slowly over the bruises and scrapes on Daniel's face to the light bruising across his throat.

As if someone had simply let all the air out of him, Jack collapsed backwards, sighing. At Sam's nod, Teal'c untied his arms.

"Daniel?" Jack slid across the floor, gesturing once for Sam to shine her light on Daniel. "Hey."

Daniel's eyebrows went up, and then immediately down into a frown. He opened one eye. "Jack?" Myomis asked cautiously.

"Yeah. Yeah, Myomis, it's me." He paused. "Daniel there?"

"No." Daniel's voice was weary, but clear. "I've gone for a walk. Please leave a message at the beep." Sam's lips twitched and Daniel rasped a little 'beep'.

"Dammit, Daniel." Jack said fondly, one hand touching Daniel's hair. He looked at Carter and Teal'c. "How is he?"

A softly indignant 'hey' rose from the floor beside Sam. "I'm fine." Daniel replied.

"Carter?"

Sam nodded her head. "His blood pressure was near critical levels, sir. He collapsed."

"I'm fine." Daniel grumbled.

"He's doing better." Sam allowed.

"How are you, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, standing guard. "We tested your blood pressure at several intervals and it proved to be quite elevated."

"What? Nah. I'm fine."

"Oh yeah? Hey, me too." Daniel muttered, shifting slightly.

"Okay." Jack glared exaggeratedly at Daniel. "Headache. Kind of a spike in the head sort of headache." He looked around. "Shouldn't we be getting out of here?"

"Well, sir, we've sort of been waiting for you to wake up as well, you."

"I'm up. Any thoughts on how to open this gate?" Jack addressed the group.

He saw the outline of Daniel's head as the archaeologist squinted at him. "I, uh, think we're okay on that."

"You guys got it?"

"Actually, sir," Sam spoke slowly. "Uh, you got it."

"I got it?"

"Indeed. You were able to provide us with the symbols."

"I did?"

"Well, technically, Nedu did." Daniel kept his eyes closed, offering Jack a slight smile.

"Let's not talk about him." Jack said sharply. He looked away as Daniel's eyes opened. "Carter, Teal'c? You two okay? No residual effects?"

Carter shook her head. "No sir. Little bit of weakness. That's gone now."

"Teal'c?"

"I am well, O'Neill. I believe that the weapons were meant to incapacitate, rather than kill."

"And you guys know the gate-opening sequence?"

"Well, sure. Probably."

"Probably?"

"Well, sir, we never got to test it."

"Daniel Jackson managed to disable Nedu before we tested the final symbol."

"He did what?"

"Daniel set off the lightning trap again, sir. You woke up as Nedu. Daniel took you out before you could get through the gate." Sam said the words with more than a little pride.

Jack leaned back, looking at Daniel. "Daniel?" The archaeologist gave him a little wave. Jack frowned and then looked back at Carter and Teal'c. "Test it now. Go through and scout ahead. Give us a minute.

"Are you not well, O'Neill?" Teal'c picked up his backpack.

Jack held up both hands. "Ah. You're worse than Fraiser. Just go check. We're fine." He looked over at Daniel. "Right?"

"Huh?" Daniel cleared his throat. "What? No, no, we're fine."

"See? Fine." He waved a hand. "Go. Don't get electrocuted."

They watched silently as Sam retraced the symbols onto the metal pad. As she finished writing Taurus, the gate gave a low, rumbling groan and started to open. As the gate opened, the lights came back on, providing a dim glow over the area.

"We'll scout ahead sir and report back. There are MREs and water beside you."

"Thank you Carter." Jack said dryly.

Carter paused for a moment and nodded. Teal'c inclined his head and they moved on.

Jack watched them disappear down the hallway before turning back to Daniel. They eyed each other for a long moment. Finally, Daniel shut his eyes and attempted to rest while Jack tried to stretch the residual muscle ache out of his limbs.

"Where are your glasses?" Jack stopped in mid-stretch and looked over at Daniel.

"What?" Daniel mumbled.

"Glasses?"

Daniel shifted, probably attempting a shrug. "Lost."

"No. You were wearing them when we got here, when we got to this gate."

"Lost, Jack. It's okay."

"Daniel." Jack looked around, agitated. "Where are they?" He concentrated. Something... The full memory hit him and he staggered back.

Awakening to find himself surrounded by Goa'uld. The young one, male. Vulnerable. Take him by surprise. Fist to the forehead, spinning him around, the light slipping from his fingers. The small clink of something hitting the ground as his body crumbled.

"Jack?" Daniel struggled to sit up, breath coming fast. He started edging backwards. "Please?"

Jack groaned as the headache spiked. "Goa'uld."

"No. God, no, Jack. Fight it. Fight him." Daniel curled up in a defensive ball as Jack stepped closer. Jack turned away, his expression dark.

"Ah." Jack put his hands up to his forehead. "Hurts."

"I know." Daniel grimaced as Myomis tried to speak. "Not now." He rasped.

"Daniel?" Jack shook his head. "I said, NO!" He growled at the voice in his head, silencing it. "Crap." He ground the palm of his hand into his eye as the headache spiked.

"Jack?" Daniel tried tentatively, reaching out. Jack staggered back a few steps, lunging blindly for the empty hallway.

"Stay away."

"No, you don't-"

"Daniel, just give me a minute." Jack shook his head. Leaving Daniel alone, Jack forced himself out of the darkened area by the gate and into the long hallway behind.

Frowning, Daniel watched him go. He settled back down onto his makeshift mattress of SGC issue blankets and spare clothes and waited for Jack to return.

- - - - -

Jack stumbled away from Daniel as fast as he could. Nedu appeared to be waking up fully, and it was not going to be pretty. Just as when Myomis roared to life inside Daniel, he had a hostile, well-trained, military alien lodged in his brain... and the alien thought Daniel was his mortal enemy.

"This is not happening." He told himself firmly. He couldn't even reason with the hard-nosed soldier. Nedu loved and honoured his kinsman and Oannes friends, but he did not know SG1 and he could not speak English. Jack doubled over as the pressure in his head increased. If this was what Daniel had gone through…

"No, you son of a bitch, this is not happening your way." Jack patted in his pockets until he came up with a small mirror, perfect for signalling. He found one of the small lights that illuminated the tunnel and staggered over to it. Flipping open the mirror, he tried to angle it toward his face as the pain started to rise again.

"Alright, take a look. Get a good look. This is my body. Daniel might share but not me. Not now. Look at me." He gasped as he felt the alien presence push forward and take over. He felt himself shouldered aside by an indomitable will. At that moment, he understood exactly what kind of man Nedu must have been. Captain of the Guards, he had watched his world crumble, his Lords imprisoned and his friend tortured and killed. Beyond all that, he had picked up the pieces as best he could and continued on, leaving them clues that endured thousands of years later.

Under different circumstances, they would probably like each other. Under these circumstances, Jack had to win.

He saw his hands hold up the mirror. Felt his fingers touch his cheek wonderingly. "Minûm?" His voice asked.

"That's me." He forced out, watching his face wince with a pain that wasn't entirely his own. "That's mine. I'm… mine."

"La." The darkness rose and engulfed him, pushing him aside.

- - - - -

Daniel looked up as Jack returned. "Jack, are you-" He broke off. Jack wasn't right. The stride was too hard, too clipped. Daniel squinted. Jack's face was harsh.

"Goa'uld."

"Oh, no." Daniel tried to scramble out of his bed, nearly keeling over as his knees went weak. Nedu grabbed him before he could fall, pulling him upright and slamming him against a wall.

"Let me." Myomis gasped out as Nedu's hands returned to Daniel's throat. Daniel dropped back, allowing Myomis to take over.

"Nedu!" Myomis ground out, ignoring the rising pain in his chest and throat. He fired off some phrases in Oannes, ending with, "Dabâbum!"

Daniel took some deep breaths as Nedu's hands loosened. The Oannes controlling O'Neill backed away, surprised. "Myomis?"

"Oh, thank God." Daniel breathed, slumping. Nedu caught him before he could fall, lowering him to the ground carefully. Nedu crouched on the floor next to him and put his hands on either sides of Daniel's face, making him look up. "Nedu?" Myomis smiled.

Nedu spoke in Akkadian, asking how such a thing was possible. As he spoke, he ran his fingers over Myomis's face, checking his injuries. He apologised profusely, often touching Myomis's face or shoulder.

Finally, Myomis put his hand over Nedu's and silenced him. He spoke urgently to Nedu, assuring him that he couldn't explain, but that Nedu would have to trust him.

"Watch." He said, in Oannes. "But do not push. This is not your body. You must trust. You will hurt your host if you push too hard. I did the same and my host is very ill."

"Hey." Daniel broke in, in Oannes. "I don't really like the term 'host' so much." Both Nedu and Myomis smiled.

"Sleep, Nedu." Myomis urged, his voice breaking. "Sleep." He touched his hand to Nedu's cheek. The other Oannes nodded and his head slumped forward. Daniel held out a hand as Jack drooped.

"Whoa." Jack's head snapped up and he caught himself before he hit the floor. He looked up, meeting Daniel's concerned gaze. "Hey." Jack started.

Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Hey."

"Are you alright?"

"What?" Daniel gave Jack his best 'clueless' look.

"Daniel, I just..." Jack trail off, looking quickly at Daniel and then back down to the floor. "You know I would never-"

"Oh, no." Daniel shook his head slightly before scrunching his eyes shut and clearing his throat, both signs of pain that Jack could not miss. Daniel kept on trying though. "No, I'd never, you know-"

"No. Of course. But I just wanted you to know."

"Jack?"

"Well."

They both paused and stared at the floor.

"Jack, you don't-" Daniel started, just as Jack began to speak.

"It's just that-"

They both trailed off. Daniel cleared his throat again and shifted restlessly, closing his eyes again. "Okay." He said hoarsely, managing a small grin.

"Yeah?" Jack leaned forward.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah."

"Sir!" They both looked around as Sam jogged back. "Sir, I..." She trailed off. "Are you guys okay?"

Jack nodded and stood. "Just a little excitement, Carter."

"It appears to be something more than that, O'Neill." Teal'c said as he came up to them. "Did Nedu reappear?"

"What?" Sam looked at Teal'c and then back at Jack. "Sir? Daniel? Are you okay?" She crouched beside Daniel, tilting his head back until Daniel squirmed and tried to get away.

"We're fine." He said, pulling away from Sam.

"Present your arm, O'Neill." Teal'c pulled the pressure monitoring equipment from his pack.

"What? Nah, hey, it's cool. I'm fine."

"It was not a request." Teal'c drew himself up. Jack looked at Daniel just in time to catch a ghost of a smile cross the archaeologist's lips.

"Fine. But make sure you check Daniel over. Thoroughly."

Both men endured the patient, and very thorough, examinations by Sam and Teal'c. Finally, cleared for a temporary return to duty, Jack held out a hand and pulled Daniel to his feet.

At that point, everyone remembered that Carter had jogged up to them with news.

"Carter?" Jack turned to her. "You guys find something?" Without missing a beat, he grabbed Daniel's arm and placed it over his shoulders, supporting Daniel who was still swaying ominously.

"Sir? Are you sure?" Sam looked between Jack and Teal'c. "We can-"

"It's fine, Carter. We'll keep each other upright. You two stand guard." Jack straightened up, trying to maintain the 'macho' look. "You were saying?"

"Uh right. Right. We found the next gate. It's not too far."

"You did?" Daniel's head bobbed up.

"Yes, we did." Teal'c nodded his head. "And there appears to be text on the doorway."

"Really?" Daniel took one step before his legs went out from under him. Only Jack's quick action kept him upright.

"Okay. You're sticking with me until you get your sea legs back." Jack balanced Daniel. "Just like a sack race."

"A what?" Daniel looked up, puzzled.

"Okay. We need to get you out of the house more. Lead on, Carter."

- - - - -

"Oh, great." Jack sniffed as they approached the final gate. Another dust-gate. He swayed as Daniel scrambled for a handkerchief.

Daniel's response was drowned out by another powerful sneeze, followed by prolonged nose blowing. The alcove in front of the final gate had two rows of hard wooden chairs and the remnants of dark ribbons strung from the ceiling. Jack spread his feet, fighting for balance as Daniel sneezed again. Every surface was liberally coated in dust.

"Don't tell me they do this deliberately."

"Well, yeah. You know Goa'ulds and their allergies." Jack said dryly.

"I think that they are attempting to recreate the feel of the lines of the text. What did you tell me this line was, Teal'c?" Carter turned toward the Jaffa.

"Over the door and the bolt, dust has settled." Teal'c said, looking around.

"Kinda got a bit of poetry to it when he says it, hey Daniel?" Jack tried to keep Daniel's flagging attention focused on the situation at hand.

"Well, it _is_ poetry." The archaeologist gamely tried to keep up.

"Well, there is that. Come on, let's get you to the door." Jack helped lead Daniel over to the final gate.

Myomis cleared his throat as Jack tilted precariously to allow him to focus on the writing on the door.

"The blood is the memory." He closed his eyes, allowing Jack to pull him upright and back from the gate. Everyone hovered for a long moment, finally backing off when Daniel started to glare at them.

"So what does it mean?"

"My guess?" Myomis said. "It means the memory of the Oannes."

"Well, like you?" Sam blurted out, biting her lip at the insensitive sound of the question.

Myomis merely offered her a watery smile. "It is my guess."

"So what? Another 'touch the gate' kind of…"

Sam trailed off as Teal'c turned to face the gate and ran his hands over it. They watched silently as he touched the surface of the door, then the edge and finally to the top of the gate.

Sam jumped a little as Teal'c abruptly pulled his hand back. He stared at the tip of his finger.

"You okay, big guy?" Jack asked.

"I am fine." Teal'c said gravely. "There was some sharp object. It punctured my finger." He stopped short of saying anything more as the gate started to rumble and slide open.

"Well." Daniel squinted into the gloom. "Well done."

"Little easy."

"I'm not complaining, sir."

"Indeed."

"Alright, let's go." Jack adjusted Daniel's grip on his shoulder and manoeuvred the both of them through the gate. Carter went first, and Teal'c guarded their backs.

"O'Neill, we should exercise extreme caution." Teal'c began.

"Teal'c's right." Daniel spoke softly, his head hanging low. "We have-" Teal'c looked up as his three team-mates stopped in mid-stride, mid-sentence. In one short second, they went from living, breathing human beings to statues. He froze, assessing the situation.

"Such beauty. Such languages." A low voice hissed in the darkness. The stranger spoke in Goa'uld, female by the sound of her voice. "And they come into my home, as in the days of old. They come to speak? To parlay? Perhaps they have come to free the soul of their beloved. We have no souls here, my pretty ones. No souls. Lost them all."

The figure stepped out of the shadows, hunched and deformed. She looked similar to Nem, blue skinned with fangs and sharp scales glittering in the dim light. She stepped up to Carter first, sniffing delicately. "What's this? No stink of Goa'uld, young pretty? You smell of Oannes. You smell of the old days. I know you. I knew you."

She looked around Carter, to O'Neill and Daniel. "Your pain flickers bright." She rasped, stepping closer with tiny, birdlike steps. She sniffed at O'Neill's face first, her neck scales catching lightly on the fabric of his uniform, making a scraping sound as she pulled away.

"From the days of old. He who guarded me. What have you done, old friend? Locked yourself in this little body. What have you all done? Such bright and shiny things, dulled and bowed." She shuffled past Jack to Daniel.

"And you. Young, but old. I do not know you, yet I know your type. Your flame burns low, little one. Soon it will gutter and falter, as all things do. I have no souls in Erkalla. Do you seek to bring me yours? Such a shiny, pretty thing." A clawed hand emerged from her dusty robe, reaching up to caress Daniel's cheek.

"Do not!" Teal'c could contain himself no further. He stepped forward cautiously, hoping to stay out of whatever trap had caught his team-mates.

The creature's response to him was instantaneous and dramatic. She screeched and scrambled away, falling over her robes. She made her way into the shadows.

Teal'c followed her, tracking her movements as she curled up against the wall, hands outstretched. "Come no further. Fly you to your masters. I want no part of you." She called out the words in a warbling voice.

Teal'c stopped, casting his gaze back to his immobile friends. He thought desperately, going over Daniel's notes in his mind. Erishkigal had Ishtar judged and found wanting. Ishtar was butchered and her body hung from a hook.

Teal'c looked up and around, as if the bloody instrument might still be visible.

His gaze snapped back to the Oannes as she shuffled away. Feeble and mad though she appeared, she was still Erishkigal, ruler of the Netherworld. His eyebrow went up as he considered a way to get free of this predicament.

Teal'c dropped smoothly to one knee, causing a worried squeal to come from the pile of cloth against the wall.

Taking no notice of it, he used his best command voice as he bowed his head.

"Mighty Erishkigal, long have I journeyed to meet you." His voice boomed in the empty chamber.

"Enh?" Erishkigal jumped, startled. "What's this?" She gathered herself up slowly, leaning against the wall. Her clawed hands smoothed her robe nervously. "What be you? What manner of thing come to pester us and frighten us?" She looked around. "There are many here. We will- They will defend me. I am a queen." Her voice trembled, but she stood up straight, back pressed to the wall.

Teal'c held his hands out at either side of his body. "You are a mighty queen. The tales of your might and terrible wrath have been passed down through the ages."

"Yes?" The ancient being sounded surprised, before gathering her wits again and stepping forth. "Yes, of course. And what do they say?" She challenged.

Teal'c paused, thinking over Daniel Jackson's lectures and briefings. "They say that Erishkigal is a strong and proud queen."

"Oh, yes." The Oannes sniffed disdainfully. "One must be strong when one is all alone."

Teal'c thought, remembering the story of the two creatures sent to free Ishtar. They were able to do it because they sympathised with the Oannes.

"I could only imagine such a terrible thing, mighty Erishkigal." He spoke firmly, hiding his own doubts and worries. "But now that I have gazed upon your power and seen your strength I can truly appreciate she who is the Queen of the Underworld. It must indeed have been a terrible burden placed upon you."

"What do you know of it, Jaffa?" She sniffed disdainfully. "You with your masters and your armies and your rules. No. Pity poor Erishkigal. She who was left alone to waste away in this horrid place. No. Pity poor Oannes, left to watch over the dead."

"And it is on this matter that I have come seeking your counsel, mighty Queen, for who would know better than the Queen of the Dead?"

"Yes? And what would you have me tell you? Perhaps my knowledge is old, like me."

"My Queen, you are as young and beautiful as any maiden under the sun." Teal'c kept his voice sure, despite the ridiculous words. He checked over his shoulder, somewhat relieved that O'Neill could not hear him.

"Yes? Well, perhaps what I know is useless and forgotten, like I am."

"Again, my Queen, I must disagree. Only in this place can I find the answers and you are the only one who can help me."

"Oh? And what do you seek?"

Teal'c paused. Erishkigal was staring intently at him. Her manner now was one of intent curiosity, no longer the confused wretch he had been flattering. She was aware of his false words, and had allowed him to play the game anyway.

"I seek a key." He left off all of the excess words, rising to his feet and putting his hands behind his back.

Erishkigal's eyes narrowed and she nodded. "Not a loved one? Not a soul?"

"You do not hold this soul. It is not yours to return. The key, however, may be."

"And the Oannes?" She waved a hand at Teal'c's frozen team-mates.

"They seek the key with me."

"They are dead." Erishkigal's voice was harsh. Teal'c paused, confused by the sudden change of topic. The Oannes bared her teeth. "I can sense them. You cannot hide them. You bring my own gatekeeper back to me and expect me not to notice? I know the girl. Who is the third?"

"He is Myomis."

Erishkigal sucked in a breath. "The husband of Lamashtu? The son of Nem and Omoroca?"

"Yes."

"He is dying."

Teal'c expression grew hard. "Not if I have any say in the matter."

"You cannot help it."

"How do you know this?"

The Oannes' mouth turned up in a grim smile. I am the Goddess of Death, am I not?"

"It is a title, nothing more." Teal'c said firmly, all subservient pretence gone.

Erishkigal bared her pointed fangs. "You are so like him. Same rebelliousness, same pride. I knew it from the first."

Teal'c cocked his head. "Why then did you respond to my words?" He did not bother asking why Erishkigal played the part of the simpering, weak queen.

"The old ways must be maintained, Jaffa. Nothing is done without reverence for the old ways. You chose well in imitating the words of Kakka and Kurnugi."

Teal'c chose to respond to this by simply inclining his head in respect. "My reasons for coming are sincere. We seek a key."

"Babylon has fallen, Jaffa. No key can bring it back. Its lords are dust and its walls have fallen."

"No. There is hope."

"There is no hope in the Underworld."

"Then leave this place and walk upon the earth. Nem still lives. His line is still strong."

"How strong? One woman?" Erishkigal waved her clawed hand disdainfully at Sam. "Lamashtu was strong, yes, but she is dust. Her mind is fractured and torn."

"There is Myomis."

"Myomis." Erishkigal snorted. "His blood is tainted and do not tell me you cannot see it."

"I-" Teal'c started, unable to agree.

"Pah. Name your key, Jaffa."

"It is a key held by Ennugigi. One of three keys needed to open Omoroca's tomb."

"And why would you do such a thing?"

"Because we believe she may yet live."

"What?" Erishkigal's eyes went wide.

Teal'c nodded gravely. "Moments from death, Myomis managed to seal her in a healing chamber. She has lain within it these many years."

"Alive?"

"We believe so."

Erishkigal turned away. "This is..." She turned back. "Jaffa, come with me." She stalked away.

"Erishkigal? What of my friends?"

"They will wait." She said dismissively, before walking on. With one long look back at the statue-like figures of the rest of SG1, Teal'c followed.

Erishkigal lead him through one room and out of the throne room. They passed a short hallway and into a darkened room. Ancient blue curtains served as the door to this room. As Erishkigal entered, the room lit up with a dim, yellow glow.

"Are you not curious why I am assisting you?" She asked, turning back to him.

"I assume that your continued good will is a result of my ability to follow the correct rituals."

Erishkigal nodded slowly. "That, and for the soul inside of you. Nedu was the Captain of my guards, but it was Ennugigi who guarded the final gate. He and I spoke at great length, and indeed, it was a grave blow to me when he died." She turned and gestured at the lights.

The room went from dim lighting to a more normal glow. Still, after the gloom of the previous chambers, it made Teal'c turn his head aside and shut his eyes for a brief moment. When he looked up, he frowned. They were standing in an almost completely empty room. The only furniture in the chamber was a low, long altar at the end.

"Come, Jaffa." Erishkigal beckoned with one finger and walked up to the altar. Teal'c looked once around the room and then followed behind her.

As he approached the altar, he noticed that the top was a highly reflective substance, like marble or glass, but the glare from the lights prevented him from seeing what lay within. Erishkigal stopped at the altar and beckoned Teal'c closer again.

Teal'c stepped up to the altar and looked within. He was more than mildly disturbed to find his own face looking back up at him. "What is this?"

"You are his exact image." Erishkigal smiled. "The blood of Ennugigi runs strongly in you. How could I not listen when you spoke?"

"This is Ennugigi." Teal'c looked back down at the gateman of the Underworld.

Ennugigi lay, like Lamashtu, perfectly preserved. He was taller than Teal'c and not so muscular, but his severe facial features were eerily similar to the Jaffa's. He was clothed in long silk robes that covered him from neck to ankle.

"How did he die?"

"Old age, though he does not look it. Two hundred years, Jaffa. Will you live so long?"

Teal'c ignored her. "Does he possess the key we seek?"

"He does. He wore it always on a chain around his neck." She passed her hand over the glass, causing it to vanish. As she reached in to touch her scaly hand to Ennugigi's face, Teal'c reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Do not."

Erishkigal smiled again. "Do not fear, Jaffa. He is dead."

Teal'c looked reproachfully at her. "I do not fear."

Erishkigal's laugh was short and bitter. "We all fear." She reached out and touched her hand to Ennugigi's cheek. "We talk, you know, he and I. We spend many hours together."

"Are you alone here?"

"I am, can you not see?"

"Daniel Jackson spoke of your mate, Nergal."

Erishkigal's face showed a brief second of pain. "And what else did your Daniel Jackson tell you?"

"If I am to be honest, I do not understand much of the structure of the Babylonian Oannes. He mentioned that Shamash was also linked with the Gods of the Underworld."

"Shamash and Nergal. They are one and the same, Jaffa." Erishkigal pulled back one hem of Ennugigi's robe, revealing a fine silver chain. She unhooked it and pulled it free, revealing a carved piece of stone.

"Nergal was the corrupt image of Shamash."

"Corrupt. A polite word for it."

"A Goa'uld. Nergal was a Goa'uld."

"He was. My consort was attacked, taken by the enemies of the Oannes. He returned to me a man divided."

"The Oannes could never completely be controlled by the Goa'uld within."

"No, they could not. But the Goa'uld could corrupt them, twist them. Shamash was may things, but his mind was not strong... not as strong as some. In the end, after the fall of the house of Nem, those of us who were left were hunted down and all but a few were taken by the Goa'uld. My door-keepers stayed with me. They protected me. Ishtar, a Goa'uld, came to me. I destroyed her corruption and returned her to life, returned her to her people. Nedu and Ennugigi served me long. Eventually, Nergal betrayed them though. Nedu fell to the Goa'uld. His place was taken by Meslantaea and Lugal-Irra. They guarded the first gate in his place."

"Myomis will be happy to hear of this."

"Is that so? Then tell him that the twins yet live. They are Oannes. Not so pure-blooded as their father, but pure enough. They have kept themselves free of the corruption... unlike their brother."

"It will be most welcome."

"And here." Erishkigal sighed and presented the stone piece to Teal'c. "Your prize, for all the good it will do you."

Teal'c, who had raised a hand to accept the piece, froze. "What do you mean?"

"Jaffa, there is a price to pay. It is the oldest rule. None who enter the realms of the dead may leave. For one to leave, another must die. It is the law."

"You cannot." He whispered as Erishkigal turned and walked back to the main chamber.

"I must. Everyone who comes before me must pay the price. In one form or another, a life given for a life returned."

Teal'c remained silent until they approached the rest of SG1. Erishkigal walked around them. "The young one is all but dead anyway, the spark of his spirit is fading. Leave him with me and one other may go free."

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c whispered.

"Ah. The one who tells you tales of the Oannes?"

"Yes. He carries the memories of Myomis within."

Erishkigal nodded. "Yes, he will do. For the other? Yourself or the woman. I am not cruel. I know Lamashtu and Myomis would hate to be parted. We can recall the twins and reunite the family. Or you could stay. I miss your participation in our conversations."

Teal'c shook his head mutely. The rational Oannes to whom he had been speaking was gone now. Erishkigal was mad, driven mad by her long stay within the Underworld, a victim of her own paranoia and fear.

"I cannot."

"Oh." Said the Oannes, mildly disappointed and misunderstanding his response. "Then the boy and the girl then. I do not want the old one. I remember Nedu. He would not listen. He would not stay still. No, the young ones will do."

"I cannot let you take them."

"What?" She turned to face him. "The rules are quite clear, Jaffa. For one to leave, another must die."

"No."

"I need only two. You may chose which."

"No."

"I can chose, if you prefer." She traced a clawed finger down Daniel Jackson's face. "So pretty."

"None will stay."

Erishkigal cocked her head. "The rules-"

"The rules state that one must die."

"Yes. This is the law."

"Then we are free to go. All of us."

"You-"

He cut her off. "O'Neill carries the memories of Nedu. Captain Carter has Lamashtu. Daniel Jackson is paired with Myomis and I hold Ennugigi's thoughts."

"Yes?"

"Each of us is living, yet each of us has died. We have recovered the body of Lamashtu. Daniel Jackson has witnessed the death of Myomis. You possess the body of Ennugigi and you claim that Nedu has also been killed."

Erishkigal smiled again, a cunning smile this time. "This is so."

"Then the debt has been paid. Four are dead. Four may return to the surface."

To his surprise, Erishkigal threw back her head and laughed. "Clever. I wish I could bend the rules and keep you, Jaffa. You are his true heir." She bowed. "Leave me then, to the land of dust and shadows. I guard the bones of those who have gone. I will not keep the living. Go to your friends."

"You can leave this place."

"And why would I do that?"

"Erishkigal, there is nothing more for you here. Walk upon the Earth again."

"Where would I go?" She looked at him over her shoulder, yellow eyes narrowed.

Teal'c looked around. There was nothing to write on. He stepped to the side, under a light, a sketched out six symbols in dust. "These are the symbols to Nem's world. Contact him. Perhaps there are others."

"Nem."

"Yes. There are worlds upon worlds. You need not be trapped here."

"I... I will think on your words."

Teal'c paused and then bowed low. He took a quick step back.

"Jaffa?" Erishkigal turned back to face him. "What is your name?"

"I am called 'Teal'c'."

"You live up to your name. Stay with your friends. I shall return you to the Chappa'ai." She started to walk away, turning back only once more. "Teal'c, you are very clever. Your payment shall be accepted only this once. Do not return again."

"Yes, my queen." Teal'c inclined his head, allowing himself the luxury of a very brief smile.

Erishkigal's laughter followed him as he was surrounded by a bright light. When the light faded, they were once more in the room with the Stargate. The DHD was back in place and the gates were open.

"...to be careful." Daniel's words trailed off as the three team members were released from their stasis.

"Whoa." O'Neill looked around rapidly. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"We're back at the gate." Carter swung around, gun up.

"The DHD." Daniel tried to point.

"Carter, dial it up."

"What? Sir, we still need the key."

"Jack, we have to go back."

"I have the key." Teal'c calmly interjected as his friends argued. In their haste to speak, they missed his words completely.

"He's right, sir. We can't just leave."

"Can't we? Carter, we've all been zapped and bruised and put through the wringer, and so help me Daniel, if you tell me you're fine, I'm going to drop you on your shaky ass."

"Jack!"

"I have the key, O'Neill."

Caught up in their argument, they ignored him again. "What if they seal the gate? Sir, we know the riddles, we can get through without risk."

"And if Nedu shows up again? Or Lamashtu?"

"Jack? I think Teal'c-"

"Zip it, Daniel. We're not going back through the gate."

"No, you're right." Daniel grinned at Teal'c.

"No, I'm- What?" Jack trailed off and he turned to Teal'c. Sam had already given up her portion of the argument and was looking over at Teal'c.

"I have the key." Teal'c put his hands behind his back and looked at the others.

"How?" Daniel asked.

"I spoke with Erishkigal."

"Teal'c! How?" Myomis finally interjected. "Show us, please?" He held out his free hand, the other still over Jack's shoulder. Teal'c handed him the stone piece. Myomis sagged with relief, almost pulling Jack over with him. "This is it."

"Carter." Jack spoke urgently, not liking how pale Daniel had suddenly become.

Without argument, Sam stepped over to the DHD and started dialling. Teal'c took the piece back from Daniel before the man could drop it. Jack looked over as the gate opened and Carter hurriedly typed in her code on the GDO.

"Teal'c." Jack looked up at the Jaffa. "Is there anything I need to know before we return home?" Teal'c's eyebrow went up. "Come on, Teal'c. I do listen sometimes. We're not supposed to be able to leave this place without someone dying. I can't wait to hear the whole version once we get back, but before we do, do you need to tell me anything?"

Teal'c bowed his head. "We are all allowed to leave, O'Neill. I have bargained with Erishkigal and the price was paid many years ago. We will not be allowed to return, but we may leave unhindered."

Jack looked at him for another short moment, trying to read his expression. Finally, he nodded curtly and looked back at Sam.

"Carter?"

"We're good to go, sir."

"Good. You, then Teal'c. We'll be right behind you."

They didn't argue. Jack took a look around after Teal'c and Carter went through, as if expecting someone to magically appear and try to stop them. He stabilised Daniel, who was almost unconscious again, and tossed a cheeky salute to the empty room.

He swore he heard the sound of a woman's laughter follow him into the gate.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Thirty-Three**_

"Doctor Fraiser, Doctor Mackenzie. I appreciate you coming here. Have you both had a chance to fully examine SG1?" Hammond folded his hands together on his desk and looked at the two doctors.

After exchanging glances, Fraiser decided to speak first.

"General Hammond. SG1 returned last night, approximately 16 hours ago. All four are showing signs of stress as well as assorted injuries. Teal'c, whom I understand has already been debriefed by you, is doing well. Thanks to his symbiote, he is almost fully healthy. He is showing mildly elevated blood pressure and some very mild muscle spasms. Exhaustion seems to have been the most pressing concern for him. He has been in kel-no-reem almost constantly since his return from the planet they are calling 'Erkalla'."

"And your assessment of his briefing, Doctor Mackenzie?"

"General, Teal'c spoke of his contact with a native of Erkalla. She had taken on the persona of the Goddess of the Underworld. According to Teal'c, she took her title quite literally. It appears as though he was able to communicate to this individual. This Erishkigal seems to be a victim of a particularly strong dissociative disorder, likely brought about, if we are to believe the myths, by years of solitude. Her demand that one die to serve as some sort of payment for the others indicates that she is wholly committed to this belief. All in all, SG1 is lucky that Teal'c was able to correctly read her condition and bargain appropriately for their release."

"Thank you, Doctor Mackenzie. Doctor Fraiser, if you would continue?"

"Yes, sir." Fraiser looked at her medical files. "Captain Carter, like the others has some mild bruising and muscle spasms consistent with her account of being hit with some sort of electrical weapon. She, like the others, is suffering from mildly elevated blood pressure and the effects of stress. She is resting comfortably now."

"Doctor, SG1 was on Erkalla less than six hours yet you and Doctor Mackenzie both have reported signs of stress." He held up two thin manila folders. "What happened out there to cause this? SG1's preliminary reports mention mild injuries and some trouble opening gates."

Fraiser smiled thinly. "Well, sir, the original mission to Nem's planet was quite difficult, and I think there are some as yet unresolved psychological concerns there. In addition, as we've seen before, SG1 has a tendency to understate some of the more dramatic incidents they encounter. If I may continue?"

"Of course." Hammond nodded his head.

"Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson have the most severe injuries of the four. The Colonel was shocked twice with this unknown alien weapon. In addition, he has some light bruising, indicative of a scuffle and some further bruising from his falls. His blood pressure is dramatically increased over his pre-mission check-up. I have him on mild sedation now while we explore what medical options he has to control his pressure."

Mackenzie drew breath and spoke up. "According to Teal'c, Colonel O'Neill manifested the full-blown personality of a," He trailed off and consulted his clipboard. "Nedu."

"Like Doctor Jackson and Myomis?" Hammond looked between the two doctors.

Fraiser nodded. "Yes, sir. In fact, it was this Nedu personality that attacked Doctor Jackson on two occasions."

"Two?" Hammond said. "Teal'c's briefing seems to have been somewhat lacking in details, it appears."

"Well, sir, Doctor Jackson's condition is certainly the most severe of the four. In addition to exposure to the same alien weapon that struck the rest of SG1, he has dramatically increased blood pressure and numerous contusions. Finally, and most disturbingly from a medical standpoint, Doctor Jackson appears to have suffered a transient ischemic attack. Basically, sir, it mimics the effects of a stroke but the symptoms are only temporary. It's a very bad sign."

"What does it mean for the future?"

"Doctor Jackson has fully recovered from the attack now, but his blood pressure remains dangerously elevated. According to Teal'c and Captain Carter, he was frequently weak and confused. He lost consciousness on several occasions and on at least one occasion, he had a spontaneous nose-bleed." She paused, looking down at her files for a second. "Sir, it is my opinion as Chief Medical Officer than Doctor Jackson is no longer fit enough for offworld travel. Until there is dramatic and long-term improvement, I cannot in good conscience allow him to go through the Stargate."

Hammond frowned and then nodded. He turned to the psychiatrist. "And you agree, Doctor Mackenzie?"

Mackenzie nodded. "I do, with one addition. Given that Colonel O'Neill is exhibiting similar symptoms, and has expressed an alternate personality which attacked one of his team-mates, I don't believe that Colonel O'Neill should be allowed offworld either."

"What is your assessment of this personality shift?"

Mackenzie shifted in his seat. "To be honest, General Hammond, I find it highly suspicious that all four members of SG1 are expressing complimentary personalities. This defies the law of averages. I also have expressed concern with some inconsistencies that cannot be explained. My main concern is that SG1 may be acting under alien influence initiated by the contact with the alien called Nem. That being said, I must allow that these personalities are dramatic and fully formed. At this point, perhaps the best thing for the team is to proceed, under supervised conditions, to the logical outcome of this search."

"And what do you see as the logical outcome, Doctor Mackenzie?"

"Clearly, sir, SG1 has been programmed to find Omoroca."

"Alright. What about Captain Carter and Teal'c?" Hammond looked back to Doctor Fraiser.

"At this point, I am concerned about their blood pressure and signs of stress, but I believe that they can still travel offworld as long as they are monitored before, after and during their missions."

Mackenzie nodded. "Their personality shifts have been mild so far. Like Doctor Fraiser, I feel that they can be allowed limited and supervised offworld expeditions, recognising that they may need to go offworld in search of clues in this mystery. I add one warning. Colonel O'Neill's alternate personality appeared to be the least active before it seemingly burst out and attacked his team-mates. Whomever travels with Carter and Teal'c will need to be aware of the potential risks."

Hammond sighed heavily. "I understand. Thank you both." He nodded his dismissal at them.

- - - - -

Doctor Fraiser walked back into the infirmary. SG1 was in residence. O'Neill and Jackson were asleep on their beds. Teal'c was standing next to O'Neill's bed, hands behind his back. Sam sat next to Daniel, one hand holding his, her other hand gently stroking his hair. In the harsh infirmary lights, Doctor Jackson looked like he had lost a battle with a grater. His cheek was badly scraped where Nedu had repeatedly slammed him against the wall. Somewhere along the way, he had hit his nose. It wasn't broken, but it was badly bruised, the bruises bleeding down and giving him black eyes. The bruises on his throat had given Janet a few moments of concern, but they appeared not to be swelling too badly. His forehead was raw where Nedu had punched him.

"Don't you dare wake him, Captain." She smiled at Sam.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sam smiled back.

"Didn't I order you two to get some rest?" She said with mock severity to Teal'c and Carter.

"I am well again, Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c's head came up, as if to dispute her words through sheer strength of will.

"I'll go back to bed soon." Sam allowed, unable to bluff. "I just... how are they?"

Janet's smile faltered slightly. "They're very sick, Captain. You know that."

"But, will-?" Sam swallowed, unable to continue.

"We'll do what we can." Janet whispered. "Now, Captain, I want you back to bed. You need your rest."

- - - - -

"Doc?" Myomis awoke to the sound of Jack O'Neill badgering Janet Fraiser. Someone was stroking his hair. He opened his eyes and rolled his head, squinting.

"Sorry, Daniel. Did I wake you?" Sam's face bobbed into view, giving him a little smile.

"Samantha?" He swallowed, looking around. "Where?"

Carter snatched her hand back abruptly. "Myomis? Uh, hi. You're in the infirmary. You and Daniel have been quite sick."

Myomis cleared his throat, and with a frown, Daniel spoke. "We're back?"

"Yeah." Sam smiled at him, and her hand returned to his hair. "Yeah, it's okay. We're back. Teal'c got the key from Erishkigal."

"I don't, I don't remember meeting her."

"Well, I don't either. Teal'c said she froze us. For some reason, he was not affected."

"Jaffa?"

"That may be why he wasn't affected." Sam nodded.

"I believe it was deliberate, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said from his post next to Jack.

"Doctor Jackson?" Janet Fraiser, finished with her evaluation of O'Neill, walked up to Daniel's side. She smiled at them. "How are you two doing today?"

"Tired." Daniel said, yawning. "Very tired." Myomis added at the tail end of the yawn.

"I don't doubt it. Just sit still for a moment and let me check you out." Janet checked out Daniel's reflexes and his responses, even flashing her penlight in his eyes. Daniel bore it all with good grace until he asked a question.

"So, when can I leave?"

Janet's lips tightened. "Relax, Doctor Jackson. You're still quite ill."

"Doc?" Jack had been very quiet, suspiciously quiet, until this point.

"Colonel?"

"What's up?"

She gave her best professional smile to all the members of SG1. "I'm afraid that Doctor Jackson will have to be a guest of these facilities for the foreseeable future."

"What?" Daniel tried to sit up, only to have Sam and Janet gently push him down. "I'm tired, I admit that, but-"

"But your blood pressure is critical, Doctor Jackson. At this point, I have no choice but to demand complete bed rest. You need medications and you need to be monitored. Doctor Jackson." She over-rode his protests. "You had a mild ischemic attack. A large percentage of people who suffer similar attacks go on to suffer full-blown strokes. The next time, if you are off world and you have a stroke, you will likely be dead or irreparably damaged by the time you get back. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to put yourself at risk like that."

"No more Stargate?" Sam whispered.

Janet attempted to look consoling. "No. I'm sorry. Captain, you and Teal'c will be allowed to go off world once you get a couple of nights of sleep."

"And me?" O'Neill's tone turned worried.

"You're in the same boat as Doctor Jackson. Your blood pressure is too high."

"Hey, come on, Daniel's was higher last time."

"Yes and look where it got him." She over-rode all of their protests. "Listen, Colonel, I'm sorry. You're older than Daniel. I have even less leeway with your blood pressure, not to mention the fact that, well."

"What?" Jack was barely concealing his hostility. "I'm going nuts?"

"Jack." Daniel cut him off wearily.

"Colonel, you have a personality in you that, by your own words, is not fully under your control. At this point, Myomis is the only one who stands a chance of interacting with him. You're both grounded until further notice. I'm sorry."

"Jack, it's okay. We'll work something out." Daniel tried to smile encouragingly. Jack looked away, still unable to face the bruises on Daniel's face.

"For now, I want all of you to rest." Fraiser put an end to the discussion.

- - - - -

"I can't believe I missed seeing Erishkigal." Daniel groused sleepily.

One day had passed since Fraiser had announced that Daniel and Jack would have to remain in the infirmary while they attempted to stabilise their blood pressures. Sam had finally left to get some sleep, leaving Teal'c to watch over Daniel and Jack. The Jaffa was seated awkwardly in a small plastic chair between the beds of the two patients. They had attempted to engage Jack in some conversation, but he simply turned his head and ignored them.

Daniel curled in his bed, eyelids dropping as he fought off a drug induced sleep. "Daniel Jackson, I must relate a portion of my conversation to you, and to Myomis." Teal'c leaned forward and whispered.

Myomis frowned. "Teal'c?"

"Did you know the Oannes named Erishkigal?" Teal'c asked Myomis.

The Oannes shook his head. "No. Lamashtu visited when on business with Ea, but I never did meet her. Why?"

Teal'c paused. "She spoke to me of Lamashtu... and of your children."

Myomis struggled up to one elbow, causing a warning beep to emanate from one of the monitors around his bed. "Teal'c? What?"

"She told me that it was Nergal who betrayed Nedu. It was Nergal that killed Nedu. When Nedu fell, his place was taken by Meslantaea and Lugal-Irra."

"My sons." Myomis whispered, his eyes brightening.

"Myomis, Erishkigal claimed that your sons yet live."

"Mînum?" Myomis lapsed into Oannes with his surprise. He shook his head. "I- I mean... I... what?"

"They live, Myomis."

"Teal'c." Myomis whispered, gripping Teal'c's shoulder. "Thank you."

Despite the excitement, the drugs in Myomis's system were pulling him under, sending him to sleep. "Rest, Myomis. I will tell you of your third son later." He helped the Oannes get comfortable, pulling up the blankets.

Myomis frowned, seconds away from sleep. "No third... twins were my only children." He drifted off, leaving Teal'c confused. Convinced that he must have misheard Erishkigal, Teal'c decided not to mention it to Myomis again.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Thirty-Seven**_

"Ira." Three days later, Jack woke to the sound of Daniel greeting Doctor Haller. "You look good."

Haller smiled. "Ah, pshaw. A simple stab wound to the chest can't keep me down."

"Simple nothing." Janet said from the side where she was noting her charts. "You were very lucky, Doctor Haller."

"And I know who to thank for it." Haller sketched a slight bow in Fraiser's direction before turning back to SG1. "I hear that all has not been roses for your merry crew, Daniel." He frowned. "How are you are doing?"

"Oh, just great." Jack responded dryly in Daniel's place. "Went off world, got our asses handed to us and oh, interesting side note, I beat the crap out of Daniel."

Haller watched him silently before responding. "And a good time was had by all, I'm sure."

"Haller-"

"Colonel... forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but do you normally walk around beating the crap out of Daniel?"

"Yeah."

"Colonel!" Carter spun in her seat. Jack had shut them down cold for three days when they attempted to discuss this with him, but they weren't sure if Haller was going about it the right way.

"Yeah, he is being presumptuous." Jack said to Sam before crossing his arms across his chest and looking away. Teal'c's head lifted in surprise at Jack's tone.

"Well, then I ask your forgiveness, Colonel, but I'm still asking you the question." Haller pressed on.

Jack looked over at Daniel, still in his bed, eyes boring a hole in Jack. O'Neill sighed.

"No, I don't."

"Fine then. Daniel, do you agree?"

"Well, it's true. When he's himself, Jack would never think of doing anything like this to anyone in his command."

"There you go. Problem solved." Haller clapped his hands together and rubbed them gleefully.

"Uh... what?" Jack asked.

"Colonel, you said yourself that you would never hit Daniel of your own accord. Daniel agrees. Therefore, what happened was unfortunate, but it has also passed and it was nobody's fault. To put it in layman's terms... get over it."

"Easy for you."

"Yes, tremendously easy. Moving on."

"Haller..."

"Yes, Colonel O'Neill?"

"What the hell-"

Haller waved a hand imperiously and cut him off. "Colonel, do you want to leave SG1?"

"No. But-"

"And do you want Captain Carter, Teal'c or Daniel to leave?"

"Hell no, but-"

"Are you going to leave?"

"I don't..."

"Be serious, Colonel, of course you won't. Are you three leaving SG1?" A chorus of negatives answered him. "Good, now, hands up everyone who is afraid of the Colonel." Daniel snorted at that, Teal'c raised an eyebrow and Carter paused, trying to determine what the proper military answer was before shrugging and keeping her hand down. Haller looked gleeful again. "Good, as we thought. Any other misery you'd like to waste all of our time wallowing in, Colonel?"

"What?" Jack had the look of someone who had been utterly ambushed.

"I'll take that rather confused syllable for a negative. Now, are we over this or do I have to keep the news that I may have found the last key all to myself?"

"What?" This time everyone spoke at once.

"Ah, that peaked some interest." Haller grinned gloatingly. "Yes, well, Jamie and I went tracking down some of the Earth-bound expeditions. We found a couple of leads, and they all lead to the same location. Babylon."

"Ira? We already-"

"Ah, ah, ah." Haller wagged a finger at them. "I said Babylon and I meant Babylon." He paused letting it sink in before adding. "Babylon, New York."

"And with that cryptic statement, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist that you leave my patients to rest. Visiting hours are up, Doctor Haller." Janet flipped open a medical chart.

The yells of protest followed a smirking Haller out of the infirmary.

- - - - -

It was an anxious half a day before Janet would allow Haller back into the infirmary. The excitement had not been good for Daniel's blood pressure, and Janet wanted time to monitor it before she allowed more excitement to occur.

Janet also gave Haller a tongue-lashing, warning him against exciting her patient unnecessarily. A suitably chastened Haller slunk back into the infirmary on the afternoon of the sixth day following SG1's return from Erkalla.

Daniel was still under strict bed rest, and the medications he was taking kept him asleep most of the day. Jack was finally allowed up. His medication was helping to keep his pressure down, and he was allowed on light duties again, but still confined to the base.

Haller's visit had done wonders for the Colonel's temper. After spending an afternoon growling about the archaeologist, he seemed to relax a bit with his team. His mouth was a tight line every time he looked in Daniel's direction, but that was due more to Daniel's declining health than the rapidly fading bruises.

Sam woke Daniel up by gently running her fingers through his hair until he stirred.

"Sam?"

"Hey, Daniel. Doctor Haller's back."

"Ira?" Jack and Sam helped Daniel to sit up, one adjusting the tilt of his hospital bed, the other moving the medical leads out of the way. When he was settled, she passed him his glasses.

"Daniel." Haller smiled quietly and shook Daniel's hand.

"Jamie." Daniel smiled at the young Sergeant as he followed Haller into the infirmary.

"Daniel." Fulton nodded to everyone. "Colonel, Captain, Teal'c."

Daniel stretched, looking more awake than he had in days. "Ira, what do you have?"

With a wary sideways glance at Fraiser, Haller decided not to tease. "Actually, Daniel, it was thanks to you. I started looking through some of the expedition logs from Babylon. Most of them have one thing in common..."

"Babylon?" Jack said.

Haller looked at him, and rolled his eyes. "Alright, two things. Jamie did some searching with the computer and traced most of the expedition funding back to a single company in New York called 'CC-40'."

"How does that help us?" Carter asked, confused.

"Ah, now here is the interesting part. Jamie, you tell them."

Fulton stepped forward. "I ran a full search on the company. In one form or another, they have funded most of the archaeological expeditions to Babylon and surrounding areas. They even funded your controversial final presentation on the development of Egyptian culture, Daniel."

Daniel frowned. "No... no, my funding came through the University. They rescinded it." He touched his hand to his temple and then made a waving motion. "By the time it all finished they-"

"They didn't take your funding, Daniel." Fulton smiled kindly. "I did some checking. The University stopped paying you, certainly, but they kept accepting the money your sponsor was sending. The money finally stopped about six weeks after you left academia. Letters stored on the University server show that the Dean was not all that happy about losing a fairly substantial cash cow. There was even talk about recalling you to the post, but of course, by that time you were no longer available."

Daniel gave a lightning fast smile. "I was halfway across the galaxy." He looked over at Jack who managed a grin of his own.

"Wait, you just 'found' this?" Sam leaned forward.

"Well." Fulton cleared his throat. "I had to look for it through... unorthodox methods."

"Yes, yes... moving on." Haller waved his hands dismissively. "What we found was pretty small potatoes compared to the larger picture. Tell them about _that_."

"Right, like I said... I traced the funding for the expeditions back. Most of the funding is traced to one main company. Looking at some of the main antiquities auctions, a huge number of auctions end up sold to the same buyer."

"CC-40." Jack guessed.

"Or their blatantly obvious puppet companies." Haller rubbed his hands together.

"What does this have to do with the location of the final key?" Teal'c asked.

"Excellent point. Excellent point, Teal'c." Haller's head bobbed and he dropped a pile of photocopies on Daniel's blanket-covered lap.

Moving his IV lines out of the way, Daniel looked at the papers.

"These are museum advertisements from all around the world." Daniel looked up.

"All sponsored and, in large part, donated by..." Haller let the word trail out.

"CC-40." Daniel's eyebrows went up as he filled in the blanks.

"Or their blatantly obvious puppet companies?" Jack quoted.

"Give the man a prize."

"And you think they may have artifacts relevant to the key?" Sam asked.

"Oh no, Captain." Haller pulled out one of the papers from the pile and held it up in front of Daniel.

"That is..." Myomis breathed.

"Exactly. Not only artifacts relevant to the key. They have the actual key." Finally Haller stumbled, uncertain. "At least, I think it is. Daniel, your department's been keeping an eye out for anything that matches the sketches you were able to give us at the beginning of this whole adventure. I mean, it varies slightly, but it's very close."

"It is an Oannes key, Doctor Haller." Myomis nodded.

"I need to go to New York." Daniel threw off the covers.

"Oh no, no, no, no." Janet Fraiser, who had been watching silently from the side, stepped forward, putting her hand on Daniel's leg. "You are staying in this bed until you are medically discharged."

"But this..."

"Will wait until you are stable. I'm sorry Doctor Jackson, but this is the way it has to be. Captain, Teal'c, why don't you assist Doctor Haller and Sergeant Fulton? Perhaps with a bit more investigation, you can try to arrange to find the artifact and save everyone the fuss."

Haller and Fulton nodded meekly and shuffled out with Teal'c following behind. Sam shrugged and backed out. "Yeah. We'll uh, just go look for keys." She smiled and gave a little wave before following.

Daniel blew out an exasperated breath and leaned back.

Janet tried to console him. "I'm sorry, Doctor Jackson. Your blood pressure is still high. If you can keep stable for three days, we'll see about getting you out of here. I'll check back with you in a bit." She patted his leg and nodded to Daniel and Jack before leaving.

Daniel watched her leave silently before turning back to O'Neill.

"Jack-"

"No."

"I just-"

"No." Jack held up a finger.

Daniel bit his lip. "Jack." He burst out, frustrated.

"Daniel, three days. I'll try to move things along, but that's what we have to have."

With a jerk, Daniel pulled up his blankets and turned his head away.

- - - - -

"Well, we're stuck." Sam sat on the bed next to Daniel, handing him a stack of papers.

Three days had passed. After the first day, Janet had allowed Daniel to assist in the research, since the strain of trying to stay away from it was actually making his blood pressure go up. Immersed in the research, she watched his pressure level out and actually decrease. Myomis had done his best to assist, remaining almost completely silent during the search.

"No luck?" Daniel asked, cocking his head.

"With what?" Janet walked up, hovering over the scene.

"Hmm... well, we were tracking down the leads on CC-40. There's dozens of companies under that umbrella, in companies all over the globe. We're looking at an organization the size of AT&T or maybe even Microsoft."

"I don't understand." Janet shook her head. "How can something that large be that much of a mystery?"

"Well, that's the thing." Sam tapped the papers with her finger. "There are very few direct links between the companies. Most of the links we've found are still only suppositions."

"Yeah, for example, look at the description of this cylindrical seal from the Berlin exhibit." Daniel started passing papers to Janet. "Donated for the exhibition by 'GK South'. Now, six months later, it belongs to 'CC-40', two months later, 'GK South' again."

"All without any mention of sales. We're trying to get more detailed lists of the donation records, but..." Sam shrugged.

"But all you can do is guess that one company is simply covering for another." Janet nodded sagely.

"Yeah." Daniel sighed rubbing his forehead. "And with a series of directors with names like 'John Smith', and 'Jane Brown', it's all but impossible to track anyone down."

"Which makes my find look all that more brilliant." Haller skidded into the room, stopping with a wince as he over-extended the mostly healed wound on his chest. "Okay, note to self, don't so that again." He rubbed his chest and then walked over to Daniel, slapping down a sheet of hand-written notes. "Actually, I can't take all the credit for this. Fulton is a genius with the computers."

"What is this?" Daniel turned the sheet of paper over, trying to make out Haller's broad scrawl.

"We found CC-40 and its president, a 'Mister James Doe'."

"That's... good?"

"Better than good, my boy. We spoke to him."

"You... you did?"

"Well.. we spoke to the under-secretary of his assistant... or something. Anyway, she called us back. 'President Doe' recognised the artifact and he wants a meeting."

"He wants to talk to us."

"Oh no, Daniel. He wants to talk to _you_."

- - - - -

"I don't like it." Jack groused.

Janet made everyone wait another day. Daniel was finally allowed out of the infirmary, although in his opinion, a VIP room was hardly a step up. Janet threatened to post guards outside of his office if he went anywhere near it.

Haller had spoken twice more with the secretary, each time trying to arrange a meeting with someone other than Daniel, owing to Daniel's 'busy schedule'. Finally, the assistant had phoned back herself. This time Haller had returned to Daniel with an offer from Doe's assistant. Funding, staff, the whole works. Doe wanted to hire Daniel on as a member of the archaeological staff.

"He's been looking for Daniel since the last lecture, apparently." Haller shrugged.

"And I... don't... like it." Jack enunciated the words for clarity.

"Why, someone believed me and that makes him untrustworthy?" Daniel frowned, taking the disbelief as a personal commentary.

"What? No." Jack rolled his eyes. "He's too insistent. I mean, look, you've been gone for almost two years. Dropped off the face of the Earth."

"Literally."

"Yeah, literally. For all he knows, you should be out of work, alone and desperate. What's with this 'ask and ye shall receive' job offer? By all rights, he should be starting off with room and board as an opening offer. Let you work your way to the big bucks."

"So... I'm not worth it?"

Sam stepped in before things could get out of hand. "I think, Daniel, that what the Colonel is suggesting is that there may be more going on here than meets the eye."

Teal'c nodded. "I too am suspicious of the motives of James Doe."

Daniel sighed. "Yeah, I know. By all indications, CC-40 holds one of the largest private collections of Babylonian artifacts in the world. Given what we know of the interaction between the Oannes and the people of Babylon, CC-40 may be looking for some Oannes artifacts."

"And with your lecture about the development of civilization having occurred earlier than conventionally thought..." Sam supplied.

"They think they have their poster boy for whatever theory they're pushing." Daniel finished.

"But why would a private corporation be pushing any archaeological theory?" Sam shrugged. "As far as we can figure out, CC-40 doesn't do anything archaeological. In fact, they seem to do things like farm equipment and alternate energy research."

"Perhaps their knowledge of Oannes technology is something more than theoretical." Teal'c examined the papers.

"Oh, now that's a cheery thought." Jack leaned back in his chair.

They turned as the phone rang. Daniel looked at everyone and then walked over to it, lifting the receiver cautiously.

"Daniel Jackson." He listened for a moment. "Oh. He is? Oh, okay. Uh, put him through." He cleared his throat. "Thank you. Yes, Daniel Jackson. Oh. Hello Mister Doe." His three team-mates straightened in their seats. "No. Yes, yes. Doctor Haller did pass along your very generous offer. Thank you." He looked around and then back to his desk. "No, at this time I'm afraid I- What?" There was a longer pause. "Oh, I see. No, that's very generous. Very. Mister Doe, if I might ask you, what is your interest in this area? What exactly are you looking for?" Daniel listened for a longer moment. "Well, I see. I'm afraid that that's a little vague." He swung back to face Jack. "You want to meet to discuss this further?" Jack frowned like a thundercloud. "Well. to be honest things are a little... I mean, not to be rude, but I was hoping for access to-" He sighed. "You'll give me access if we meet. Okay, why don't you give me your number and I'll contact you. Yeah, yeah I have a paper. Uh huh?" He wrote down the number. "Okay, got it. Yeah, okay, I'll call you. Thank you." He paused awkwardly before putting the phone down. "That was interesting."

"Sounds like he's still trying to get you on his team," Sam watched him.

"Yeah. He just offered me what would be your average academic's dream job." Daniel let out a long breath. "You're right, Jack, there's something strange happening there."

"So what happens next?" Jack leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"Next we talk to Janet."

- - - - -

"I don't like it." Janet unconsciously echoed Jack O'Neill's words as they presented their plan to General Hammond.

"Doctor?" Hammond turned to her.

"Sir, Doctor Jackson is still a very sick man. He is doing much better than he was on his return from Erkalla, but make no mistake, he is still not fit for duty." Daniel ducked his head, unhappy. Sam touched his arm lightly.

"I still think this 'James Doe' is a tad on the suspicious side, but Daniel's got a point, General." Jack shrugged. "We need the piece."

"General." Daniel drew a deep breath. "This is the final key we need to open Omoroca's tomb. One way or another, we'll have the answer."

"And then?" Hammond looked at him. "What happens then, Doctor Jackson?"

"Well... we open the tomb."

"And?" Hammond looked down at his clasped hands and then back to Daniel. "Doctor, I don't want to burst your balloon, but Doctor Fraiser has placed you on a medical leave with light duties for a very specific reason. Even if you manage to secure the final key and open the tomb, how does this assist you? How will this improve your health?"

"General?" Hammond's head came up as Myomis spoke tentatively. "This, I believe, is my question."

"Alright. Let's hear it." Hammond nodded.

"Daniel has kept me awake... I have stayed awake hoping to offer assistance. I believe that if the tomb of my mother is opened, I will be able to sleep and I believe Daniel will allow me to rest."

"Well, if the tomb is in sight now, why not rest now? We can contact Nem and-"

"General, I'm sorry, but this is still my call." Daniel interrupted. "When the tomb is open I'll talk to Nem. Until that time, we still need anything Myomis can teach us and..." He sighed. "I'm fine."

Janet opened her mouth, only to stop as Jack gave his head a warning shake. This was neither the time nor the place for those kinds of discussions.

"Alright, thank you everyone. I'll give you my decision shortly." Hammond nodded and stood up.

Daniel was the first up and out of the room. Jack held up a hand, motioning for everyone else to stay behind and then he followed Daniel.

- - - - -

"Daniel?" Jack entered Daniel's lab cautiously, looking around.

"Yes, Jack?" Came the impatient response.

"You, uh, you wanna talk?" Jack spoke with the tone of a man who desperately wanted to hear a negative, but was asking the question anyway because it was the right thing to do.

"About what?" Daniel kept his eyes fixed on the small stone statue in his hands.

"Well, I couldn't help noticing that you weren't all that chipper about the prospect of this being over."

Daniel frowned over at him. "Don't be ridiculous. This is what we've been working for."

"But you'll 'talk' to Nem about it later."

"Yes. I will speak to Nem about this situation later."

"You mean about sucking Myomis out of your skull."

"Jack, don't talk about him like he's not here."

"Daniel, and Myomis I mean no offence by this, but he _isn't_ here. He's a memory. A ghost. And I know he doesn't mean to and he has no control over this, but he is killing you."

"I'm not giving up just yet, and neither should you."

"Dammit, this is not about giving up. This is about trying to keep you alive."

"And I'm fine." Daniel said the word with finality. Exasperated, Jack turned away and walked out of the lab.

Daniel watched him leave silently. As the door to the lab slid shut, he sighed.

"I'm sorry about that, Myomis."

"Sorry for what, Daniel? Sorry for the truth?" Myomis put the statue down as he took over Daniel's body.

"It's not the truth."

"You know it is." Myomis' tone was kindly. "We cannot coexist in this body. Our only choice is to have _Abi_ put me back to sleep."

"God, that sounds like something I'd do to a sick dog. Put you to sleep. It's-"

"It is better than the alternative. I have slept through many years, many generations. I have lived my life, Daniel. It is only right that I sleep once more."

"Your life was taken from you by the Goa'uld. We have a chance to make a part of it right. How can you simply let that go?"

Myomis smiled a grim and humourless smile. "Because I know better. I see the practicality of it."

"I can't accept that." Daniel whispered.

"I am sorry, Daniel, but you will have no choice." Myomis crossed his arms over his chest, the only consolation he could offer.

- - - - -

The next day, SG1 and Janet Fraiser sat before General Hammond in the briefing room.

"Thank you for your patience, everyone. I'll get right to my decision." Hammond looked at the files on his desk. "I recognise that the final key, if indeed that is what is there, is a necessary tool. Given the rather convoluted nature of the business dealings of CC-40, I believe that we may risk losing the piece altogether if we attempt to obtain it by seizure."

He looked around the table. "I am willing to approve a meeting between Doctor Jackson and James Doe on three conditions." Daniel nodded warily. "Firstly, all efforts will be made to research the nature and character of Mister Doe. I want to know if there is any risk or any ties to Oannes-related technology. Secondly, Doctor Jackson, you will be accompanied by SG1 for any meetings, and you will all carry concealed weapons." Daniel opened his mouth to comment and Hammond waved a hand dismissively. "Those are my conditions, Doctor Jackson. My final condition is that Doctor Fraiser will accompany you in a support capacity. She will not be required to accompany you to any meetings, but she will be allowed to monitor all of you, and this trip will end immediately on her word." He looked around sternly. "Am I understood?"

Five heads nodded their understanding and Hammond left the room a satisfied man.

- - - - -

"Wow." Daniel craned his neck and looked up at the mansion. They had flown out of Colorado the day after the briefing. Daniel chafed at the delay, but he was at the mercy of the schedules of both James Doe and Janet Fraiser.

It had been decided that Daniel and Jack would meet with Doe. Sam, Teal'c and Janet would stay in reserve. Jack was in civilian clothes, armed under his jacket. Daniel was dressed in his usual civilian attire, but unarmed. The other three were in a van parked down the street. In this neighbourhood, they had to be careful about attracting attention, so they were sitting in the back out of sight. Jack was wearing a wire, and the van was equipped with listening devices. As per Hammond, they were to be backup, listening for a signal.

In the mean time, Jack refused to look impressed by the towering building with its long driveway, sprawling lawns and immaculate gardens. Babylon, New York was a moderately well-to-do town of 200,000 in Suffolk County. It seemed an odd place for the home of someone who, by all accounts, should have been able to afford to buy the town as his personal playground.

Jack was still deeply distrustful of someone like James Doe, who had gained so much and yet was all but invisible in the media. People loved millionaires, and they loved billionaires even more. With the rate at which Doe was throwing money around, someone should have noticed him before this.

And Jack could not help but be distrustful of someone who acquired billions, and spent it all on rocks from Babylon. He took off his sunglasses and rang the doorbell. Given what they knew now, Doe was probably after alien tech. This made him a liability they could not afford to ignore.

The door opened slowly, revealing a young woman within. She was in a sharp suit with long, dyed blonde hair swept up in a bun at the back of her head.

"Yes?" Her gaze swept over them, resting briefly on each. Her gaze lingered on the remnants of Daniel's bruises.

Despite that, Daniel tried his best 'peaceful explorer' routine with her, smiling politely. "I'm Daniel Jackson and-"

"Yes, Doctor Jackson. Mister Doe is expecting you." She turned to Jack. "I'm sorry, and you are?"

"Oh, sorry." Daniel held up a hand. "Colonel O'Neill."

"I don't recall Mister Doe mentioning anything about you, Colonel." The woman's tone was polite but distant.

"Just think of me as wallpaper." Jack matched her, coolly polite smile for coolly polite smile.

"As you say," She said brusquely and opened the door.

After seeing them in and offering to take their jackets, an offer which was politely yet firmly denied, she led them down the hall. Daniel winced as his footsteps echoed loudly on the marble floor.

"So, uh." He tried to engage the nameless woman in small talk.

"Mister Doe is waiting."

Daniel shot a look at Jack and hung his head. "Right." A grin played at the corner of his mouth.

The woman led them to a tall wooden door. She opened it and preceded them into the room. Jack followed, taking a long look around, finally zeroing in on a tall man sitting in a large leather chair on the opposite end of the room.

Daniel, on the other hand, had his attention locked on a series of small artifacts on a table off to the side. Jack cleared his throat as Daniel veered off to the side after them.

"Oh." Daniel looked around, focussing on Doe.

The man stood up, smiling broadly. Jack took an instant dislike to him. Doe was in his mid-40s, sandy blonde hair and dark eyes. He had a narrow moustache and an impeccably tailored suit. For the most part, like all of the employees of CC-40, he was rather unremarkable in appearance. His hair was not too long, nor short, fairly neutral in colour. His eyes were darker, possibly grey or blue, but nothing that stood out or caught one's attention. He was tall, but not excessively so. Fit, but not overly muscled. He smiled as he came up to Daniel, one hand out to shake his hand.

"Doctor Jackson a true pleasure to meet you. James Doe." He gestured to the pieces. "I thought you'd enjoy seeing these."

"That... that looks like Konig's battery? But it can't..."

Doe smiled. "No, this is a reproduction of that battery. We were doing some testing of it."

"Doctor Jackson tells me that your company is involved in alternate energy research..." Jack took the opening.

"I'm sorry." Doe turned to him, still smiling. "Are you a colleague of Doctor Jackson's?"

"Oh... uh, sorry. My fault." Daniel tore himself away from the artifact and turned back to Jack and Doe. "This is Colonel O'Neill."

Doe's eyebrow arched. "Colonel? This is a surprise. What is the Army's interest in archaeology?"

"Air Force actually," Jack clarified the branch, but not the interest. Taking the hint, Doe turned back to Daniel.

"Our engineering department was allowed some unprecedented access to Konig's battery in the Baghdad Museum. Using the data we found, we were able to recreate this one."

Daniel circled the piece and then looked up at Jack. "This device, uh, _Colonel_ was found and described by Wilhelm Konig in 1938. It's an earthenware shell, copper on the outside and an iron rod in the middle. There were theories that it was an ancient battery, but nobody's ever tested -"

"We have." Doe smiled. "We tested this replica. It produced about two volts."

Jack raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Wow." He said, unimpressed.

Doe smiled back at him. "Ben Franklin coined the term 'battery' in 1748 but it took Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta over 50 years to make that theory a reality. Yet here is an artifact from the 5th or 6th century AD that is by all appearances a battery."

"Well." Daniel cocked his head and looked at the battery. "An alternate theory is that it is simply an item used in religious ceremonies that, coincidentally, matches the properties of the battery."

Doe smiled. "And that is why I have been looking for you, Doctor Jackson." He paused. "Doctor... I can't help but notice." He gestured to his own face, indicating Daniel's fading bruises. "Are you alright? Do you need to sit down? We were advised that you were busy but-"

Daniel waved a hand. "Oh no. It's, uh, just." He looked around and cleared his throat. "Hey, is that a cylindrical seal?" He stepped away from Doe and picked up the piece, making an exaggerated show of studying it.

Doe let him get away, turning instead and looking at Jack. Jack turned back to face him and the two squared their shoulders like Old West gunfighters.

Finally Doe shrugged and turned back to Daniel, turning on the charm again. "Doctor Jackson, may I ask what area you are researching now? We've put some time and effort into searching for you without any success."

"Oh. Well." Daniel met Jack's gaze and then looked back at the seal. "Translations, mostly. Some cultural and historical research."

"For the Air Force?" Doe asked.

"Uh... yes. Yes, actually." Daniel fell back into their planned cover story. "Well, a branch of the Air Force is working with civilian agencies in post Gulf War evaluations of some of the archaeological sites." He kept his eyes on the seal. "I help with translations and some cultural liaison work. Occasionally I help out with the archaeology teams." This was almost the truth.

"Cultural liaison?" Doe nodded. "And a translator needs a full Colonel as an escort to a simple talk about artifacts?" Now Doe sounded sceptical.

"That's classified." Jack stepped in.

"I see." The charm was back. "Of course. So you spend your days checking for damage in post-war Middle East."

Daniel gave a couple of deep nods, eyes darting from Doe to the wall to Jack. "Yes. That's basically it."

"What a waste." Doe's voice turned soft.

"Ye- What?" Daniel and Jack exchanged glances.

"Doctor, CC-40 is prepared to offer you whatever it takes to get you on staff here." Doe turned away, all business again. "Your talents are being wasted with the Air Force. We have full divisions of CC-40 dedicated to archaeological research. Your budget would be better than most museums and almost any university could provide. A full staff, subsidised housing. Hell, Doctor, I'll even throw in your meals. You can name your salary."

"Wh- Why?" Daniel asked.

"Because I like the way you work. I've read everything I can relating to your theory about the development of civilisations, and I agree with your proposed timeline. I think it goes much, much further than you originally proposed."

"What makes you think this?" Jack put his hands in his pockets and looked at Doe.

"That is privileged company information." Doe smiled back. "But I can tell you both this, we've made some astounding discoveries. Discoveries that could change the face of the world, but we need your skills."

"Why him?" Jack challenged.

"Cuneiform, Colonel. Doctor Jackson's linguistic skills are well known. How many languages do you speak now, Doctor?"

"Twenty... Twenty three distinct." Daniel put his hand to his forehead.

"Distinct. I won't ask how many dialectic forms you speak, or how many languages you speak with only partial fluency. You're too modest, Doctor." He turned back to Jack. "Colonel, scientists with training in archaeology, anthropology and linguistics are rare. Throw in Doctor Jackson's gift with languages and then factor in that he can speak some of the rarest languages on Earth." He smiled at Daniel. "I dare say, Doctor Jackson, whatever they are paying you, it is not enough."

"I'm sorry." Daniel finally managed. "I'm rather engaged in my work at the moment, but we did come about a specific artifact."

"Yes... the Oannes key."

Daniel looked at Jack quickly. "Uh, key? No, I think I-"

Doe shrugged. "I know what it is, Doctor Jackson, and I know what it does."

A new voice rang out. "And I know who and what you are."

"No." Myomis whispered as they spun to face the new arrival.

- - - - -

_**Chapter Thirty-Nine**_

Myomis stumbled backward until his was up against a wall, hands out.

Jack stepped quickly between Daniel and the new arrival. "What the hell? Who the hell are you?"

As the figure stepped through the doorway and into the room, Jack's eyes narrowed.

It was an Oannes.

Like Nem, it was blue skinned with thick scales and sharp neck ridges. It was wearing a long blue robe which trailed on the floor behind it.

For a moment, Jack thought it _was_ Nem, but the Oannes they had previously met never had this rasping chuckle. The Oannes ignored Jack, trying to circle around and get to Daniel.

"Uncle." The Oannes breathed.

All of a sudden, it clicked in Jack's mind. Only one Oannes would call Daniel 'uncle'.

Ea.

The Oannes bared his fangs, approximating a smile as Jack stayed determinedly between him and Daniel. Jack surprised when Ea turned away, walking back to James Doe.

"What- what is this?" Daniel rasped, one hand going to his temple.

"This should be obvious, dear uncle. I am Ea."

"Ea, I don't-"

"He doesn't know any Ea, is what he's trying to say." Jack stepped forward. "What the hell are you?"

"You know me, door-keeper. I have sought you out. You and the one with you."

"You've been looking for me?" Daniel asked.

Ea smiled, playing with a small piece of stone that he had taken from his pocket. "We have."

"We?" Jack asked, stepping sideways to keep between Daniel and Ea. Both men stepped back as Ea looked up, his eyes flashing a sinister white.

Jack backed up and whispered to Daniel. "He's a Goa'uld."

"Jack, he was a Goa'uld in Myomis's time." Daniel hunched his shoulder and spoke in a low tone.

"Yes, and he still is." Jack said meaningfully.

Daniel's jaw dropped as he understood it, but it was Myomis who replied. "Sarcophagus."

Ea smiled at him again, a disconcerting display of fangs which drew their attention to the Oannes and the human across the room. "Let us start at the beginning, uncle. You hid Omoroca from me, locked her away." He stared at Jack and Daniel. "I found the tomb, of course, and your body." He cocked his head. "And just how did you manage to cheat death again?"

"That's none of your business." Jack snapped.

"How did you move the tomb?" Daniel asked, unable to help himself despite feigning ignorance of the subject.

"I didn't." Ea pointed at Jack. "Ask your guardian, uncle."

Daniel looked over at O'Neill. "Jack?" He whispered.

"Oh, for crying out loud Daniel, how would I know?" Jack's harsh whisper came back.

Daniel waved a hand. "Right. Uh." He looked back at Ea. "You mean, someone else moved it."

"Got it away, somehow. Belus took it from under the nose of Nedu. The children of Ra proved to be quite troublesome... but that has been mended." At those words, Ea's smile grew wide and menacing. "Where is the Chappa'ai?"

Daniel cleared his throat, delaying. "Chappa'ai... chappa'ai." He half turned to look at Jack. "The 'chappa' is a small hand-cymbal used in Japan but I don't-"

"Please, uncle, spare me these games. You know who and what I am. You know of the Oannes and of the fall of the house of Tiamat. You know of the Goa'uld." He stepped forward, bumping shoulders with Jack. "Where is the Chappa'ai?"

Jack gave a patently false grin. "Never heard of it."

"What?" Daniel cleared his throat as he attempted a lie to divert Ea from the topic of the Stargate. "What are you? You're obviously not human."

"Yet I once was, at least in appearance, until that most devious genetic defect took hold as it did in all of the line of Nem." Ea gurgled angrily. "Only you, uncle, escaped. Your genetics held the answer. Long have I sought your lineage."

"Uh, the Jacksons, I assume." Jack said dryly, still trying to give away as little as possible.

"Or the Ballards." Daniel said in a low voice. He shrugged as Jack looked at him. "On my mother's side."

"Enough! Your games and words will not confuse me." Ea growled. Daniel stepped back as Jack bristled. The Colonel seemed to grow taller as he tensed, one hand moving to his back and his concealed pistol. They watched as Ea spoke. "I seek the chappa'ai. You seek the Oannes key to Omoroca's tomb. Allow me to leave this world and I shall give you the key."

"Leave. Leave the world?" Daniel said incredulously. "On what, a spaceship?"

"The Stargate, Doctor Jackson." The almost forgotten James Doe spoke up. "Our father has created a proud lineage here on Earth, but is limited by the primitive technology of this land. Allow him to return to claim his rightful throne and the key will be yours."

"Stargate? Never heard of it." Jack looked around.

"Join us, Doctor Jackson. I wasn't lying. Your knowledge and that of Myomis could prove invaluable. Allow your uncle to return through the Stargate and you can have access to everything we know, all that we have acquired. You can help us forge an empire in his name." Doe spoke with all the passion of a preacher.

"You're nuts. Both of you." Jack gestured between Ea and Doe.

"I want access through the chappa'ai." Ea rasped.

"No idea what you're talking about."

"Uncle, how can you deny this?"

Daniel gave a little grunt, obviously fighting back Myomis.

Jack ducked his head, speaking into his collar and the hidden microphone. "Carter, now would be a really, _really_ good time."

He was rewarded by the sound of a scuffle in the hallway. The icy blonde must have run headlong into Carter and Teal'c. As Doe went for his hidden gun, Jack drew his pistol, pointing it first at Doe and then at Ea.

"Alright, everyone stay calm." He adjusted the grip on his gun.

There was the sound of running feet and then Carter and Teal'c burst into the room, both carrying handguns.

Jack relaxed fractionally.

"Daniel?" Carter asked.

Jack stepped back to look at the archaeologist. He was rigid, fists clenched. A thin line of blood trained from his nose and down to the corner of his mouth.

"Daniel... Myomis, let it go." Jack snapped, unable to keep up the pretence.

Ea's voice rasped hard and harsh in the quiet room. "I killed your mate, dear uncle. Mine to create, mine to possess, mine to destroy. Your children watched, curled up against the wall, her blood staining their pathetic rags."

Jack moved toward Myomis, hoping that Daniel would be able to maintain control, and fearing from the clenched jaw and fists that he could not.

"Myomis. Let it go. He's a Goa'uld, that's what they do."

"Jack." The word was forced out between his teeth, but the Colonel did not miss the accent. Myomis was in the driver's seat.

"Myomis, let Daniel take over." Jack faced Ea, one hand out in front of the man beside him.

Ea, for his part, gave ground, sidling backwards. He gave them a gargoyle grin, sharp fangs protruding from his misshapen mouth. He looked at Sam then. "She said nothing as she died. Silent and proud to the end." He cocked his head, eyes glittering. Myomis's head dropped, and he looked fixedly at the floor, trying to control his breathing.

"It must have been a relief for her." Ea took another step closer to Carter, who took two cautious steps backward, gun aimed dead center on Ea's chest. Myomis's head shot up as Ea approached Sam. "She was weary. I knew this. It was for the best." He brought up his hands in a choking gesture. "It was over so quickly. So easy." Jack looked sideways at Myomis. The Oannes' chest was heaving as he tried desperately not to react. Ea held up the stone piece he had been playing with earlier, swinging it on the end of a thick chain. "This is your key. Give me what I want. I shall win. You know this. I have always won."

"Alright, enough." Jack barked, startling everyone. Ea opened his mouth, and Jack silenced him with a raised finger. "Ah. Shut it. I don't want to hear any more crap from you. We want the key, that's it. There's no way you're getting off this planet, in fact, you'll be lucky if you don't spend the rest of your days in a fish tank in Area 51. Give us the key, no deals."

Ea regarded Jack steadily for a moment, and then turned back to Myomis. With another ghastly smile, he began speaking to the other Oannes in a low, grating voice. Jack understood nothing until the Goa'uld said two names.

"... Meslantaea... Lugal-Irra..."

"No!" Myomis pushed past Jack and threw himself bodily at Ea, slipping under the Goa'uld's first heavy blow to deliver a punch to the ribs. Ea hissed and swung again, his claws catching Myomis's shoulder, dragging halfway down his back. Myomis cried out, but did not stop, kneeing Ea in the belly.

Jack reacted by aiming his sidearm, and Carter followed suit, each trying to get a shot at Ea that would not hit Myomis. Teal'c moved like lightning and with one punch, knocked out Doe. He disarmed the man and tied him up with a cord from a lamp. When he was satisfied, he moved toward Myomis and Ea.

"Daniel, Myomis, get out of there!" Jack yelled. "Ea! Give it up. You can't win this." Jack's jaw tightened as Myomis delivered a punch that should have broken the other Oannes' jaw, but Ea simply turned back with a smile.

Myomis, lost in his anger, darted forward. Ea had strength, but Myomis had more speed and cunning. He kept low and made it past Ea's first strike. As he closed for a second attempt, Ea brought up his hand.

"Dammit!" Jack snapped off a shot, hoping like hell that Myomis stayed out of the way. The bullet glanced off Ea's shoulder, causing the creature to gurgle a warning tone. Neither the shot, nor the warning affected Myomis, who still pressed his advantage. "Teal'c!" Jack yelled. "He's got a-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Ea played his hidden trick, opening his palm to reveal a Goa'uld hand device. Unlike the Goa'uld version, the Oannes hand device did not have finger caps.

With his empty hand, he grabbed Myomis by the nape of the neck, and put the hand device against the other man's chest. Myomis's eyes widened and he twisted frantically as the device discharged.

"Oh God!" Sam snapped off two shots, striking the Goa'uld in the chest both times as Myomis's body slid to the ground. Ea snarled at her. His malformed body was acting like armour, absorbing much of the bullet damage. He lifted his hand and the percussive force slammed into Sam and Teal'c, throwing them backward.

Jack took his chances. He had liberated a sword from a wall display, and slipped into motion behind Ea as the Goa'uld took out Carter and Teal'c. He had no idea if the metal would penetrate the thick hide of the creature any better than the bullets, but he had to try.

"Hey!" He bellowed, trying to surprise Ea as he took aim at Daniel again. Both hands wrapped around the unfamiliar weapon, Jack swung it like a baseball bat, aiming for Ea's torso. Ea shrieked as Jack's sword sunk into his upper arm instead. The Oannes had managed to avoid the brunt of the blow, but the upper six inches had hit him, embedding itself in the bone.

Ea stepped back, jerking the sword from Jack's hand. He grabbed at the weapon and yanked it free, releasing another howl, and crouching over. As his gaze fixed balefully on Jack, Carter and Teal'c crawled forward, attempting to reach Daniel, curled up on his side on the floor.

Sam stroked Daniel's head while Teal'c stood in a wrestler's crouch. With close quarter combat and one man down, guns were too risky. Jack was rocking side to side on the balls of his feet, preparing to dodge. For a moment, the only sound was Carter murmuring softly as she checked Daniel's injuries.

"Head... support neck, no, Daniel, don't move. I just need to look at your chest, stay still. It's okay, it's okay."

"Ow." Daniel wheezed. Jack grimaced, eyes still on Ea. _Now_ the Oannes gives up control. Daniel was wide-eyed, trying ineffectually to fend off Sam's hands. "Jack." He was pleading now. Despite himself, Jack's eyes shot over to Daniel, trying to reassure him.

Ea moved.

Teal'c jumped forward, but the Oannes was gone. Jack spun sideways, trying to avoid the rush, but a clawed hand gripped his shoulder. He grunted as the ribbon device hit his forehead, and then all rational thought disappeared as the device activated.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called, stepping forward. Jack's knees hit the floor. He managed to get one hand up, wrapping it around Ea's large forearm.

"Back away, Jaffa. Leave my dearest uncle to me, or this one dies." Ea was hissing, eyes flashing.

"T-" Jack tried to speak, mouth working.

"I will not leave you, O'Neill." Teal'c stood straight. "You will release your captive, or-"

"Or nothing, Jaffa! Back away!"

"S- Sam?" Daniel looked around, his tone querulous.

"Hush, Daniel." Sam tried to keep Daniel's gaze on the floor. The younger man stiffened as Jack made another pained noise. He sucked in his breath and tried to move, looking for Jack. "Daniel, please." Sam tried again.

The archaeologist forced himself up on one elbow, despite Sam's attempts to keep him down.

"Ea." He rasped, blood flecking his lips. "Leave him."

The Oannes made a horrible grating noise that the others could only guess was laughter. Jack groaned, a line of blood spilling from his nose.

"Ea!" Daniel's voice changed and Myomis roared back into control.

"Nedu held your keys, uncle. Held them from me. Hid them to the last."

"No." Myomis's voice grew weak, his head sagging forward. He still lay half on his side, arm wrapped around his chest.

"I defeated you. I defeated all of you. In the end, even the mighty Nedu fell at my feet." He looked contemptuously down at Jack, still struggling weakly.

Myomis's eyes squeezed shut and he shook his head. Like Jack, the fight was seeping from his body. His forehead touched the floor, unable to meet the gaze of his tormentor.

Ea turned from his defeated uncle to savour Jack's final moments. In doing so, he committed a fatal error. Teal'c slipped to the side and retrieved Jack's fallen weapon. Without a sound, he picked it up and drove it two-handed into Ea's back. The sharp blade, aided by Jaffa strength, punched through Ea's tough skin and severed his spine. The Oannes's eyes went wide as he crumpled to the ground. Jack slipped from his hand and hit the floor hard.

Teal'c dropped to one knee, checking O'Neill's pulse while Sam eased Myomis back onto his side. Myomis gave a little start, and then opened his eyes. Sam smiled as she recognised the dazed look.

"Daniel, you're back." She touched his hair. "You're okay."

Daniel craned his neck. "Jack?"

Teal'c looked up from the fallen Colonel. "I am sorry, Daniel Jackson. I have killed the Goa'uld Ea, and in doing so, I have killed a member of your family."

Daniel frowned, attempting to focus. "You saved Jack, Teal'c. Ea- all of the Oannes made their choices." He was fading out, head drooping down. "You did the right thing." Daniel's whisper trailed off as he let the pain carry him away.

Carter and Teal'c exchanged glances.

"We need help." Carter straightened up, flipping open a cell phone. "Yeah. Help."

She dialled Janet.

"Fraiser." Janet's voice thrummed with concern.

"Janet, we're in the house. It's clear. We need a team. It-"

Sam's voice cut off a bolt of electricity struck first her, then Teal'c, dropping them in their tracks.

- - - - -

Janet stood at the ready. Hammond had ordered Janet along as medical backup and Janet had brought several of her medical staff with her. They were primarily doctors and nurses, but all were military and all were armed. They had listened, waiting in reserve until Sam's all-clear. When Sam's call cut off unexpectedly, they called Hammond for local backup and then moved in. They would attempt to assess the situation while the four-man team Hammond had on stand-by made it to the back of the mansion.

The medical team made their way into the house and up the hall.

"You there! Freeze!" Janet called out, handgun up, as a figure emerged from a door at the side of the hallway.

It was James Doe, and he was dragging the limp body of Daniel Jackson. He had Daniel by the collar and was dragging the archaeologist along behind him. Doe looked over his shoulder at someone still in the room. "Go!"

Saying that, Doe dropped Daniel, and with a yell, he ran at the medics, his apparently empty hand extended toward them. One of the medics on Janet's right went down as Doe activated his alien weapon. They opened fire as he approached. Janet's second shot took Doe in the upper chest. With wide eyes, he crumpled and fell, dropping to the floor.

Janet held her gun with both hands, covering the fallen man as another medic took the alien weapon away and a third checked on the wounded medic. "Clear." Janet motioned for the others to continue on down the hall, aware now that someone could be lying in wait. The downed medic shook his head, stunned. He waved his hand for them to continue on.

Two medics went into a side door while Janet and the other went down the hall toward Daniel.

"Doctor Jackson?" Janet whispered as she approached, trying simultaneously to check on Daniel and watch for threats. His face and back bloody, he lay perfectly still on the floor. Checking to make sure she was covered, Janet knelt beside Daniel and checked his pulse and respiration. She nodded to the other doctor. He was still alive.

"Doctor Fraiser?" Came a voice from the other room.

Cautiously, Janet stepped over Daniel and went into the other room. Her other two nurses were there, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of the remainder of SG1. There was a thudding down the hall as the backup team arrived.

Once all the new team had checked over the area, Janet took a deep breath. "We're not secure here. Let me call the general and make sure we have enough people to clear this area." Janet pulled out her phone again. "There may still be someone in the house with God only knows what weapons." Saying that, she dialled Hammond and filled him in as the medics took care of SG1 and the backup team kept watch.

- - - - -


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Thirty-Nine**_

"And here we are again." Hammond sighed and he clasped his hands together and looked across the briefing room table. Doctor Fraiser attempted a half smile, while Teal'c straightened in his chair and Carter ducked her head. Hammond looked back to Fraiser. "How are SG1 doing?"

"General." Janet looked briefly at the only two members of the team present. "As you can see, Captain Carter and Teal'c have recovered enough to be mobile. Both were rendered unconscious by some sort of energy weapon. I can find no residual damage from the weapon."

"Sir." Carter interrupted cautiously. "The weapon seemed to be very similar to the one used on us in Erkalla. It seems to act like some sort of stun gun. It causes the nervous system to short circuit briefly, but with no long term effects."

"It is similar to a Goa'uld weapon, designed to incapacitate." Teal'c cocked his head as he spoke.

"So, you're both fine."

"Yes-"

Sam was cut off by Fraiser. "No, sir. Both Teal'c and the captain are suffering from mild tremors in addition to their other injuries. Both were thrown against the wall and bruised."

"But, I'm fine now." Sam said.

"As am I." Teal'c attempted to stare down the doctor.

"And I'm recommending light duties, just in case there are some unknown side-effects." Janet said.

"Agreed." Both Sam and Teal'c looked as though they wanted to object, but they accepted Hammond's decision. "What about Doctor Jackson and Colonel O'Neill?"

"We're guardedly optimistic about them, sir. They're both in no danger, they got off relatively lightly. I'm simply concerned about their special circumstances."

"Explain."

"Doctor Jackson is resting comfortably. He's badly bruised and I've had to suture some rather large cuts on his back. My primary concern was the rather deep contusion on his chest. He was hit almost point blank with the shock wave from the Oannes equivalent of a hand device."

"I believe your report mentioned some cracked ribs."

"Yes sir, Doctor Jackson apparently managed to twist sideways just enough to dodge the full impact of the weapon. Judging from its apparent power, a direct impact would likely have…" She trailed off and cleared her throat. "Well, let's just say it could have been an entirely different sort of briefing."

Hammond nodded. "I understand. And Colonel O'Neill?"

"Also doing well, sir. He's sleeping off a bad headache as a result of the Oannes hand device. We're monitoring his brain function carefully with MRIs on a regular basis. Otherwise, minor injuries throughout. SG1 was very lucky."

"I'd say that was the case." Hammond turned back to Carter and Teal'c. "But for now, I'd like to know exactly what went on in that house. We have a dead billionaire, SG1 limping home and a great deal of police interest in this case. This is not the simple meet and greet I assigned you to cover."

"No sir." Carter's head lifted as she started to explain. "Sir, I believe we were lured there deliberately to allow the Oannes named Ea to either hire Daniel or kidnap him. General, Ea knew who we were. SG1, the Stargate, Daniel, everything. He knew it all. He was trying to negotiate access to the Stargate in return for the Omoroca key. I think that their attempt to hire Daniel was deliberate. They wanted his knowledge primarily, and his access as a secondary goal."

"Sir." Janet broke in. "I'd like to add at this point that while the unknown woman was escaping with the body of Ea, Mister Doe was attempting to flee with Doctor Jackson in tow. He was, in fact, shot during this kidnap attempt when he injured one of my medics."

"What have the police been told about Doe?" Sam looked between Janet and Hammond.

Hammond sighed. "At this point, the police have been informed that the military was acting on certain concerns relating to the trade of potentially stolen goods for sensitive information and that Doe was killed by an as yet unknown intruder."

"Will this story be sufficient?" Teal'c asked.

"We're cutting it close with 'need to know' and this may not play out well. There's certainly nothing we can divulge to the police or the general population with respect to our suspicions about the Oannes. The military angle is being played up in regards to Doe's Middle Eastern trade partners and some of the admittedly shady deals in which he participated."

"And there's still the blonde woman."

"Yes. She is potentially a rather large thorn in our sides."

"Captain, if I can ask," Fraiser spoke up. "What prompted this extreme action on Ea's part? You said from your monitoring that one moment Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson were talking with Ea, and the next he attacked them. For someone with so much to gain, why would he resort to physical violence so quickly?"

"He is insane." Teal'c answered simply.

Hammond frowned. "Please elaborate."

"Although we have only Nem as an example, the Oannes appear to be extremely long lived, if not immortal. Ea is the Oannes, not the Goa'uld. The Oannes Ea and the Goa'uld have been trapped on Earth for a span well in excess of 4,000 years."

"An emperor trapped in the shadows all this time, unable to show his face." Sam mused. "The Goa'uld and the Oannes locked together all this time."

"There is also the fact that Ea has always hated those of my house." Myomis added from the doorway. Daniel was there, smiling wanly as he leaned against the door frame.

"Doctor Jackson." Janet blustered, standing up and guiding Daniel to a seat. "I don't recall giving you permission to leave your bed." She ran a cursory check, making sure he was alright before reluctantly taking her seat again and nodding for Hammond to continue.

Daniel shrugged. "We talked about it and we feel we should be here."

"Myomis, you said that you feel Ea has always hated you." Hammond asked, once Daniel and Janet were both settled.

"Yes." Daniel's voice slipped back into Myomis's accented tones. "For many long years he resented those of us who did not fall victim to the Oannes heritage."

"Myomis refers to the birth defect evident in the Oannes physiology. Nem's own rather alien features are more the result of the reactivation of a dormant gene than any true _alien_ appearance." Janet clarified.

"Yes, and this appearance was passed through the Oannes genetics." Myomis sounded out the words carefully. "Ea, more than any others, hated his appearance. Those of Oannes with such features are often not welcomed into true society. They are outcasts. They can never attain any true position of power."

"It was Ea behind all of the genetic experimentation, wasn't it?" Carter asked.

"It was he who created Lamashtu and Pazuzu, mixing their human origin with Oannes." Myomis spoke slowly, with the air of someone who did not understand the topic well.

"And now this being has access to a fortune, all of the latest Earth-based technology and Goa'uld knowledge, as well as any Oannes technology they can find." Teal'c looked around the table as he spoke.

"Okay. Not a cheerful thought." Daniel observed.

"But he's dead." Carter added.

"He has a sarcophagus." Daniel corrected. "He has to. Goa'uld aren't immortal. Even if Ea lived forever, the Goa'uld would still need the sarcophagus."

"Oh, God."

"Doe's sacrifice was likely intentional." Teal'c said. "Recognising that you had superior numbers, he was forced to relinquish his target and act in a hostile manner to delay your arrival."

"Meaning, he drops Daniel and attacks to buy time for the woman to escape with Ea's body." Carter nodded.

"This means, at least for the time being, we will have to increase security around Doctor Jackson." Hammond noted, making a note on a piece of paper.

Daniel's head came up. "What? He won't try again, will he?"

"Well, Daniel." Sam looked at him, concerned. "He has lost his business front. While the world doesn't know what he is, we do. It was a pretty desperate gamble he took, and he lost. We know he's out there now and you are definitely on his 'most wanted' list."

"Oh. Peachy." Daniel muttered.

"Indeed." Teal'c replied.

"In the meantime, Doctor Haller and Sergeant Fuller will be leading a team to sweep Doe's mansion. We have a team researching CC40's business assets for any other fronts and shadow organisations." Hammond said.

"If you find any other possibilities, I'd like to see them." Daniel said.

"Doctor Jackson?"

"Well, I was thinking and it is fairly obvious. CC40. Caper Cornu." He looked around at the blank faces. "Capricorn."

"The symbol for Ea." Sam got it first.

"And forty is the sacred number of Ea." Daniel nodded before Myomis took over with a small smile. "Ea has always believed himself to be clever, but his intelligence has never been very subtle."

"And you believe that other organisations may have similar naming schemes?" Hammond asked.

"Well, it can't hurt to look." Daniel shrugged and then immediately winced, one hand coming up to lightly rub his chest.

"And I know what _can_ hurt." Janet segued into the discussion smoothly. "Doctor Jackson needs some rest." She stood up and hovered over her patient.

"I think we're about done here for the moment." Hammond allowed. "I'll expect your written reports tomorrow at 0800, doctor permitting. We'll reconvene in two days when Colonel O'Neill is awake and go over any finds by Doctor Haller's team. In the mean time, you are under orders to rest." He nodded sharply, dismissing the team.

- - - - -

"Gah." One day after the meeting, Jack came abruptly awake and turned on his side, hands over his head. The monitors attached to him beeped a shrill warning. Daniel, stretched out on the hospital bed beside him, dropped the book he was reading and pushed himself upright.

Wincing, Daniel made his way over to Jack, and placed a hand on Jack's arm. "Jack? Hey. Hi. You're okay." He frowned, hoping it was indeed Jack he was waking. "I mean, you are Jack, right? No Nedu?"

"What are you talking about?" Jack grumbled as he rolled onto his back.

"You're you?"

"What?"

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.

"Daniel, you shouldn't be up." Sam called out from the entrance to the infirmary.

"O'Neill awakes." Teal'c announced in a satisfied tone.

"I don't suppose you would mind being _quiet_?" Jack snarled, hands over his eyes. The others exchanged knowing looks. "Anyone care to tell me what happened?"

"Uh. You were in a fight with Ea. You kind of lost the fight." Daniel faltered as Jack glared at him from under one arm. He adapted rapidly, clearing his throat. "By which I mean you held him at bay, and kept him occupied until Teal'c was able to, you know…" Daniel made a little stabbing motion with one hand.

"Yes." Sam stepped up. "Good job, sir." She managed an 'insubordinate but you'll never prove it' tone with ease.

Jack thought things over. "So, not a party?"

"No." Daniel replied.

"And no lasting effects?"

"No." Daniel shook his head, not bothering to mention his and Jack's injuries.

"And no one is dead, maimed, injured or engaged?"

"N- What?"

"Come on, Daniel. Last time I felt this hung over, you were engaged when I woke up."

"Actually, I was married." A smile crept over Daniel's face.

"And now?"

"Still married." Daniel replied with mock seriousness.

"And you, O'Neill?" Teal'c stood at the foot of the bed, his voice booming in the near empty infirmary. "Are you well?"

"Peachy." Came the muffled voice as Jack covered his head with a pillow.

- - - - -

"Colonel O'Neill, I trust you are feeling better?" Hammond looked as Jack sat down gingerly at the briefing table.

Jack winced. "Doc says I'm fine. Hyper… hyperactive hearing."

"Hyperacusis." Janet supplied as she entered the briefing room. "He'll be fine, General. For now his hearing is going to be overly sensitive. We've tested him fully, including MRI and CAT scans."

"Whoops."

Jack clapped his hands over his ears as a loud thump and the rueful comment sounded from behind him. He frowned as a smiling Ira Haller looked up over a stack of books that he had dumped on the table.

"Colonel." Haller's cheerful voice boomed in the concrete walled room. "You look better."

Jack managed a smile that looked more like a grimace and nodded. "Thanks."

He looked up as Sam and Teal'c entered the room, each bearing a bag of books and papers. Sam rolled her eyes with a smile as Daniel and Fulton followed, deep in conversation.

"Thank you, everyone." Hammond brought the meeting to order as the late-comers took their seats. "I hope that you are all doing better after two days' rest?"

"Still on light duties, sir." Janet answered for the team. "But everyone appears to be doing much better."

"Excellent." Hammond looked back at Jack. "Colonel, you've given me your written briefing. We'll follow that up after the meeting. For now, I believe that Doctor Haller and Sergeant Fulton have some news."

After a brief scuffle between the two men for possession of the pointer, Haller emerged victorious and Fulton was relegated to working the slide projector. "Alright, thank you General. Jamie and I have just returned from the Doe estate in New York. We've had the house in lockdown and are going through the artifacts within, hoping for relevant data. I'll skip the miscellaneous objects and cut straight to several key pieces."

He nodded at Fulton, who skipped to the first slide. "Firstly, what we did _not_ find." The images that flicked through were of the room in which SG1 was attacked. The floor was speckled with a mix of red and blue blood, evidence of the fight that had taken place. "No body. The house was fully searched and, although this has been the supposition all along, we can now confirm that Ea and his associate have escaped."

Haller continued. "We did find a study. Most of the documentation seems fairly innocuous. There are specialists going over those documents as we speak. One thing that was fairly obvious was this." Fulton clicked the slide forward. The image revealed a dossier on a desk, fanned out and full of papers. The image zoomed in.

"Is that-?" Jack started.

"Yes. It's a file, a quite extensive file, on Daniel. Notes in the file date back a number of years. Ea has been following your development since at least the earliest days of your university study."

"That's…" Daniel trailed off.

"Creepy?" Sam supplied.

"Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking." Jack finished.

"For what purpose was this documentation collected?" Teal'c spoke, a slight edge in his voice.

"Document Analysis is still going over that." Haller shrugged. "It could be anything. Could be that he noticed Daniel's archaeological gifts, or followed up on his parents..." He trailed off.

"Or perhaps he is aware of the connection between Daniel Jackson and the Oannes." Teal'c continued.

"That's a bit of a leap." Daniel frowned.

"But not one we can rule out at this time. We'll continue to investigate." Hammond nodded. "Please continue, doctor."

"Okay." Haller cleared his throat. "Myomis, you might want to prepare yourself. If we're right, this might be a bit of a shock."

They watched Daniel's body language change as Myomis took over, sitting up straighter. "What is this?"

"We found a room. There were a number of artifacts in it. One of them was very similar to the Lamashtu chamber on Dilmun."

"The preservation chamber?" Sam clarified.

"Exactly. It- Well, Jamie, just show them."

Fulton obligingly clicked onto the next screen. There was a thump as Myomis pushed back his chair and stood up. "That is-" He shook his head and stepped closer to the screen. "It cannot be."

Fulton clicked on the next slide. It was a close-up.

"Myomis?" Hammond gently asked.

The Oannes drew a deep breath and touched the screen with his fingertips. "It is Nedu."

Everyone's gaze immediately snapped back to the image. Like Lamashtu, a perfectly preserved body lay entombed in a glass coffin. The man was tall and wiry with broad shoulders. His hair was completely white, and his skin dark and tanned. He was covered by a blanket from the waist down, but his torso was bare, the skin relatively hairless and dotted with scars. Like Lamashtu, he appeared to be merely asleep.

"Myomis?" Sam said softly, getting out of her chair and standing next to him. She rubbed his arm softly. "You okay."

Myomis turned back to her, tears glistening in his eyes. "I am losing all that I loved." He attempted a wavering smile.

Instinctively, Sam pulled him into a hug. He buried his head against her shoulder for a quick moment before straightening up quickly. It was Daniel who shuffled his feet and stepped back, mumbling to himself in Akkadian. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Sorry about that. Myomis said he's sorry. He-"

"Daniel." Jack interrupted softly. "It's okay." He nodded.

Daniel returned his nod with a small smile and then he and Sam retook their seats.

"Myomis. I'm sorry." Haller said ruefully. "I should have prepared you better. I didn't think."

"He's okay, Ira." Daniel nodded. "Just give him a moment."

"Okay, well, we'll move on to the final piece of interest." Haller cleared his throat. This time, it was not a slide. He carefully placed a piece of cylindrical stone on the table in front of Daniel.

"This was in the house. We think it is the Omoroca key."

Daniel drew in a breath and then carefully picked up the piece. "This is the key?" His head raised as Myomis took over. "This… this does not seem right."

"What do you mean?" Haller asked.

"I… perhaps I have simply forgotten. This does not seem right."

"Only one way to find out." Jack grinned.

"Oh?"

"We're going back to Borsippa."

"Oh no, you are not." Came the sharp tone of Janet Fraiser as she looked up from her seat at the briefing table.

"Doc, come on-"

"Colonel, I cannot-"

They both spoke at once, stopping immediately when Hammond raised a hand. "Colonel, explain."

"Yes sir." Jack tossed a smug look in Janet's direction. "We have the key. Let's go back to the planet and see if it works."

"Doctor?"

"General, SG1 has not been authorized for off world travel. They are still on strict light duty. My professional opinion is that they should be in the infirmary under observation, not traipsing through the gate."

"Traipse?" Teal'c looked up. "I do not traipse."

"You tell 'em, big guy." Jack encouraged. "General, the key is here. The tomb is there. Ergo, ipso facto and a whole lot of other Latin words say we go."

"A compelling argument, Colonel." Hammond spoke dryly. "Doctor Fraiser, how long will SG1 be on light duty?"

"Captain Carter and Teal'c, for a few more days. The Colonel for perhaps a week, and Doctor Jackson and Myomis for several weeks."

Hammond's look cut Jack off before he could protest. "Perhaps we can wait a week and send Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter and Teal'c."

"What?" Daniel's head came up. "General, I think this concerns me as much, if not more than anyone else here, and if not me, then Myomis certainly has a right to be there."

"Doctor, your health is my primary concern. That tomb has waited four thousand years."

"Actually, General… Daniel's health may be a good reason to go." Sam spoke up.

"Captain?" The general turned to face her.

"Well, I'm obviously not the medical expert, but getting Omoroca back will maybe allow Myomis to, well, rest and that will help Daniel, right? Err." She faltered. "No offence Myomis, I mean."

Myomis smiled at her, allaying her concerns.

"Well, as SG1's doctor, I have to admit that Doctor Jackson's health will not, under current conditions improve enough to allow him off world. However, his blood pressure is stable. Broken bones are not." Janet was firm.

"Come on, doc."

"No."

"What if we-"

"No."

"Colonel, I think the doctor has spoken." Hammond brought the subject to a close. "For now, SG1, you are on light duties." Hammond nodded and then left the briefing room.

Jack watched him leave before looking over at Fraser and saying with false menace, "This isn't over."

He ignored Fraser's fond smile and walked out with as much dignity as he could muster.

- - - - -

"Okay." Jack walked into Daniel's office and dropped into a chair beside Daniel.

Daniel looked up at him, quickly around the office and back to Jack. "Okay?"

"Yep." Jack picked up a slim piece of carved wood from Daniel's desk and started playing with it.

"Yep?" Daniel plucked the piece from Jack's hands.

"Hey." Jack protested.

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"Um, can I help?"

"No, Daniel. It is _I_ who can assist _you_." Jack leaned back in his chair.

"Oh? Oh." Daniel attempted to sound knowledgeable but failed. "How, exactly?" He asked, rescuing yet another artifact from Jack.

"Actually not me so much as Carter. Well, Carter and Teal'c. And an engineering team. Actually, sort of the SGC's version of the Army Corps of Engineers. Carter's kind of their spiritual leader. Well, more of a role model. Maybe-"

"Jack." Daniel interrupted.

"What? Oh, yeah. So, Mohammed, we have a solution."

"Mohammed? As in…"

"As in Mohammed, meet mountain."

"_As in_?"

"As in Carter and Fulton have been closeted for half a day coming up with ways to move the tomb to the mountain. Uh, _this_ mountain. Not the whole 'Mohammed and the mountain' mountain because you'd be Mohammed, not the mountain."

"Wh- What? Is that wise?"

"When has that ever stopped us?" At Daniel's look, Jack shrugged. "Nothing's for sure yet. I think they want to pick your brain. Brains. Multiple. Both of you." Jack made circling motions with his finger next to his temple.

"Err, okay. Let me- Let me just get a few things together." Jack watched him fuss for a moment before grabbing his elbow and steering him out of the office.

- - - - -

"Daniel." Sam smiled at him as they entered. "Great, I was hoping you guys would show up. We could really use your insights."

"Well, Carter." Jack shrugged nonchalantly. "I admit offworld engineering is not my forte as such." He trailed off.

"Actually, sir." Carter put on her brave face. "I was talking about Daniel and Myomis."

"Oh." Jack cleared his throat. "So then I'll just…" He pointed to the door.

Carter bit her lip to keep from smiling and nodded her head. "Thank you, sir."

Jack walked out slowly and shut the door, leaving Sam and Daniel with the engineers.

"Hey guys." Daniel gave a small smile. "What's going on?" He looked around at the rows of bright eager eyes fixed on him. As one, they swivelled sideways to fix on Sam as she spoke.

"We're trying to formulate a plan to move the tombs."

"Okay. Great." He paused and cleared his throat. "Why?"

"Well, Daniel, this is fantastic technology. Plus, well, you're injured and the best and safest way to open the tombs seems to be here."

"I do not believe this is a wise course, Samantha." Myomis spoke sadly, ignoring the surprised stares of the young engineers. Myomis winced as he looked that the monitors. "These translations are all wrong. Someone here must be using Budge."

"What? Wait." Sam put her hand up. "Let's show you what we have."

Myomis looked ready to dispute that, but then smiled instead. "Please."

"Okay. We have some archaeological expeditions notes to refer to, but for the most part, we're referring to some industrial documentation."

"Yes." One of the engineers spoke up. "We have some of the photographs from the site and have constructed an automated path planning system. Using the UAV data, we have compiled a terrain map of the area, overlaying it with the vegetation surveys. Using some of the GIS, or 'Geographic Information Systems' technology, we created an interactive 3-D map. From the map, we have constructed a path of movement."

Daniel stepped forward, looking at the computer screen with its display. "Yeah. I'm familiar with the technology." He ran his finger along the red path on the map. "Have you accounted for the sand in this area? With this slope you'll have an unstable bed. The angle of repose here dictates that there will be a significant shift when you turn this corner. You could end up dumping the lot."

He turned back as mouths gaped in his direction. Two of the techs immediately started typing things into the computers. "What would you say is a dangerous level, Doctor Jackson?" The reverent looks that Sam had received moments before now turned in Daniel's direction.

"Well, this is relatively coarse, large sized grains, so maybe anything about around 30 degree slope is a slip risk."

Sam came up and leaned on the high work table next to Daniel as they laid out the plans.

- - - - -

Several hours later, Jack stepped cautiously into the work room. It was empty save for Sam and Daniel. Sam sat perched on a tall stool, looking over plans on her laptop. She had her chin propped up on the palm of her hand, every so often stopping to type on one of the keys. Daniel sat in the chair next to her, feet up on another chair, head tilted backward.

"Hey?" Jack asked cautiously. "What's happening?"

"It won't work." Daniel looked up. "We talked it over. There's no guarantee we'd be able to keep the electronics intact." He put his fists to his temples and leaned back again.

Jack stepped over to him and gave his boots a gentle smack. "General wants an update." He spoke gently. "Come on, let's tell him.

- - - - -

"I'm sorry to hear that, Captain Carter." Hammond looked around the table following the briefing.

"Yes, sir." Sam nodded. "Myomis, Daniel and I are in agreement. With the tools we have at our disposal, we could likely remove the tombs from their bases, but the risk of accidentally severing or damaging some of the connections is too great."

"We could always go back." Jack added helpfully.

To his surprise, Hammond nodded thoughtfully. "We'll meet in one day, and I'll have my decision. You're dismissed until then."

- - - - -

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c announced as he entered the archaeology lab.

Daniel looked up. "Hey, Teal'c. What's up?"

"I have come to inquire as to your health."

"Oh?" Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Jack sent you to check on me, didn't he?"

Teal'c squared his shoulders, evidently debating how to answer Daniel's question. Finally, he nodded deeply. "He did."

"Well." Daniel flipped open a folder and started reading through it. "I'm fine. And you can tell him I said so."

"He is merely concerned for your health following your encounter with Ea."

"Yeah. My nephew was never the touchy-feely sort." Daniel attempted a quick grin.

Teal'c cocked his head, a slight frown appearing on his face. "Are you still suffering the effects from the hand device?"

Daniel rubbed his palm gently across his chest. "Uh, I won't lie. It's not the most comfortable I've ever been, but I'm fine. I mean, I should be ready for a trip offworld tomorrow." He winced as he reached for a folder. "Tomorrow or maybe the day after."

"Indeed." Teal'c said dryly before bowing and taking his leave.

- - - - -

The next day, SG1 met in the briefing room again.

"Thank you everyone." Hammond began without preamble. "I've given this some thought. I am willing to allow a team offworld to attempt to open up the tombs on Borsippa. Captain Carter and Teal'c, you will leave tomorrow."

"What? What about me?" Jack and Daniel spoke in unison before looking at each other and amending a synchronized, "Us."

"Colonel O'Neill, if Doctor Fraiser gives you a clean bill of health, you may lead the mission. Doctor Jackson, I am sorry, but you'll have to sit this one out."

"What?" Daniel looked around quickly, before leaning forward. "Sir, I have just as much at stake here. More, in fact, than anyone else."

"And I have your health to consider, Doctor Jackson. I have spoken with Doctor Fraiser and she is still concerned about your overall health, especially-"

"General, I'm fine. I have an obligation to Omoroca."

"And I have an obligation to you, Doctor Jackson. Whether you agree with it or not."

"Sir, we have a solution. I can't just leave my mother sitting there while-"

"What?" Jack broke in.

Daniel turned back to him, face flushed, one finger still pointing upward. "What?"

"'My mother'. You said 'my mother'."

"No I didn't." Daniel frowned.

"You most certainly did, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c affirmed. At Daniel's helpless look, Sam shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

"Well…" Daniel cleared his throat. "What I meant was, clearly-"

"And this is not the first instance." Teal'c cut him off.

"It's not?" Jack straightened up in his chair.

"It's not?" Daniel echoed him.

"Earlier, Daniel Jackson spoke to me of Ea. At that time he called him his nephew."

"And you're sure it wasn't Myomis?" Jack looked between Daniel who was leaning back in his seat and Teal'c who raised an eyebrow at him.

"I am certain."

"Actually, now that you mention it." Sam spoke up hesitantly.

"Daniel said something to you too?" Jack asked.

"Actually, Myomis. He made a comment about Budge."

"Has Myomis ever read Budge, Daniel?" Jack looked back at the archaeologist.

Daniel shook his head slowly.

"Oooo-kay. Infirmary?" Jack looked over at Hammond.

"Immediately." Hammond confirmed.

Daniel grimaced, but did not argue as Jack ushered him out.

- - - - -

Later, Sam knocked quietly on the VIP room that was doubling as Daniel's bedroom while Fraiser and Mackenzie put him through a battery of tests.

"Come in."

She opened the door slowly with a tentative smile on her face. "Hi there. What are you doing?"

Daniel was lying on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "It's funny. I've been remembering."

"Remembering what?"

"Everything. For as long as I can think back. Everything." Sam sat on the side of the bed as Daniel looked over at her.

"And?"

"And I'm pretty sure I'm me. But then all of a sudden, I remember the taste of fermented milk or, or riding a chariot across a desert, or the sequence of keys needed to start a protein sequencer in a Goa'uld spaceship and I wonder if I'm _me_ anymore."

"What does Myomis say?" She paused as Daniel laboriously turned onto his side, arms crossed over his aching chest.

"Myomis hasn't said anything since the tests this afternoon. I think he's going through the same thing. And I think he's trying to separate himself. Like the less we talk, it'll somehow make it easier to keep our minds-" He cut off and winced, eyes tightly shut.

"Daniel?" San smoothed his hair back from his face.

"I remember being… I remember." He cleared his throat. "I remember Ea. I remember what he did to me- to Myomis."

"Oh Daniel." Sam blinked rapidly and stroked Daniel's hair until he relaxed. "I promise you, we'll get you through this. Both of you."

- - - - -

"Doctor Jackson." Hammond singled out Daniel the next morning as he entered the briefing room, followed by Jack. "How are you?"

Daniel paused and looked cautiously around at both Mackenzie and Fraiser seated at the briefing room table. "Well, I guess we're here for you to tell me the answer to that."

Hammond nodded. "Take a seat, son. It'll be alright."

Daniel nodded and slid into his seat, not noticing that Jack took the seat immediately beside him, trying to act as support.

"Alright." Hammond leaned forward. "Doctor Jackson, I trust that Doctors Mackenzie and Fraiser have briefed you on their findings."

"Yes, sir." Daniel slumped in his chair, eyes on the table-top.

"So the purpose of the meeting is to follow up on the suggestion made by Colonel O'Neill that SG1 return to Borsippa. Now, I am willing to authorise a mission with Captain Carter, Teal'c, SG3 and Sergeant Fulton. I know both Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson have requested leave to join the expedition. Doctors, I'd like to hear your recommendations."

Janet nodded at Mackenzie, signalling him to go first. Slowly, Mackenzie flipped open his notebook and adjusted his glasses where they hung precariously on the end of his nose. "General, I have no objections from a psychiatric stance beyond those previously expressed."

"Doctor Fraiser."

"General, my concerns were based on the need to monitor the effects from the unknown weapon used on Colonel O'Neill by Ea. At this time, the colonel's medical tests are proving to be fairly normal. Since this should be a non-combat situation, with proper medical backup, I have no objection to his leading the mission."

"Yes." Jack hissed under his breath.

"Noted." Hammond nodded. "And Doctor Jackson?"

Mackenzie cleared his throat, drawing out the moment as he looked through his notes. "To be honest, General, I am concerned. We ran a series of tests, including Rorschach and word association tests. The lines between Doctor Jackson's duo personalities are becoming more blurred."

"Can either of you give me some insight into what is happening?" Hammond looked between the pair of doctors and the unusually quiet archaeologist.

"Sir." Janet started. "The brain is an incredibly complex system. I can only guess at what is happening, but both Doctor Jackson's and Myomis's memories are stored in the same physical space, separated only by whatever genetic trait is active at a given time. In retrospect, it seems fairly natural for the brain to attempt to bridge those gaps, and bring the whole system online. Similar to relearning abilities after a brain injury. The brain reroutes signals and comes up with new paths. In this case, the brain's response seems to be to merge the two personalities."

Mackenzie nodded. "This is obviously a case without precedence, but I concur. The most likely result of this process will be the merging of Doctor Jackson's and Myomis's personalities."

"The hell it will." Jack burst out.

Daniel turned to him. "Jack, it's okay."

"No, Daniel, it's not okay. Myomis, no offence, but this isn't your body and to be honest, we've kind of gotten used to Daniel the way he is. General, we need to talk to Nem."

"We have been attempting to reach him." Hammond replied. "And we have received no response." He looked around. "I am in agreement with Colonel O'Neill. We need to resolve this situation with all due haste. Colonel O'Neill, you will lead your team to Borsippa. You will have SG3, Doctor Haller, Sergeant Fulton and whatever backup you feel is necessary for the opening of the tombs." He held up a hand as Jack opened his mouth to speak. "Doctor Jackson is not included in that allowance. Should it prove to be impossible to open the tombs without Doctor Jackson or Myomis's assistance, I will authorise them to travel to your location."

"General." Both doctors spoke in unison.

Hammond cut them off. "In deference to the objections of the medical specialists, Doctor Jackson will not accompany the initial survey and be warned, Colonel O'Neill, I will expect a very good explanation if you require his presence."

"Yes sir." Jack nodded, chastened.

"You will leave tomorrow afternoon at 13:00. I'll leave you to your preparations." He nodded curtly. "Dismissed."

- - - - -

At 12:45 the next afternoon, a fully-geared up Jack found Daniel in the control room, arms folded over his chest.

"Hey." He said softly.

Daniel looked over his shoulder. "Hey."

Jack looked around at the bustling control room and then back at Daniel. "Could we…?" He trailed off and pointed to the stairwell.

Daniel looked around. "Oh. Yeah. Sure." He led the way down one half flight of stairs to a landing.

"You okay?"

He looked up at Jack. "What? Oh yeah. No. Yeah. Fine."

"Yeah? Because you look kinda-"

"No. No. How about you?"

"Me?" Jack shrugged. "You know. Weird."

"Weird? You're-?"

"Well no. Not me, exactly." Jack shifted, uncomfortable. "You know. The whole thing. You not… Well."

"Yeah." Daniel tried to grin. "Feels a bit strange to be waiting here. You know. When you guys…" He made a waving motion with his hand in the general direction of the gate.

"Yeah. Like that. But only for a little while. I'm sure we'll be back shortly."

"Oh yeah. Should be pretty simple." Both tried valiantly to be as nonchalant as possible.

"But you know, next time. Right?"

"Oh yeah. Obviously. Next time."

"Because we're a team."

"I- Oh." Daniel finally looked up at Jack.

"Yeah. This whole- I mean, it'll be done with soon. And I don't want you to think that we'd leave if we didn't have another option. We don't-"

"You don't leave people behind, Jack." Daniel smiled. "I know."

"Colonel." Both men turned at the sound of Hammond's voice behind them. "You have a go, Colonel." The general spoke gently, recognising that Jack was not simply wasting time.

"Yes, sir." Jack turned back to Daniel who was already walking down the stars to the gate room.

Once back, he adjusted his pack and walked up to the ramp where the wormhole glowed enticingly. Daniel leaned up against the wall to the side, watching the preparations.

"Good luck." Hammond's voice rang out over the intercom.

Jack led the way, sparing Daniel a sidelong look as he went through. Teal'c paused at the top of the gate and inclined his head while Sam curled up her fingers and gave him a little wave and half-smile.

As his team disappeared through the Stargate, Daniel stepped forward despite himself, mouth already forming the word 'wait'.

"Doctor Jackson." Daniel turned to find Hammond standing next to him, pulling him up short. "Why don't you join me in my office?" The general smiled. "I think we need to talk." Daniel obediently followed, watching until the wormhole swallowed up the last marine and scientist. Hammond continued. "Hard to watch them go without you. I remember a time in Texas when I was on a training mission…" Daniel smiled briefly as Hammond continued on with his story, sparing the gate one look over his shoulder as he let Hammond guide him out of the gate room.

- - - - -

"Unauthorised Stargate activation." Harriman's voice rang out, alerting the teams in the gate room. As they gathered, the gate roared to life in an explosion of blue, before settling back into a deceptively calm looking pool. The iris slid smoothly over the event horizon as the soldiers prepared.

"Any idea who it is?" Hammond asked as he walked down the stairs from his office.

"No, sir. SG1's check-in time is approaching." Harriman answered, reaching across the control panel to press some of the myriad of buttons. "Receiving SG1's IDC, sir."

"Good. Someone call Doctor-"

"I'm right here." Daniel said somewhat breathlessly as he jogged up the stairs, barely hanging on to the folders under his arm.

Hammond swung around and looked at him, seemingly unsure whether to welcome him or chastise him. In the end, he nodded. "Very good."

"Receiving MALP transmission, sir."

"On screen."

"Hello?" Jack looked into the camera.

"Hello, Colonel. Right on time. Report."

"Yes sir. We're ah… we're going to need Daniel, sir."

Hammond frowned. "Explain, Colonel."

"Sir, we've done a preliminary survey of what we believe to be the Omoroca tomb. I'll turn this over to Haller."

Jack stepped back and let the scientist take the lead. "General?" He gave a little wave. "Hello. We can't open the tomb."

"Why not? Does the key not fit?" Myomis asked, stepping forward.

"Myomis?" Haller asked. "Hello. No, we can't get the key to fit. Well, more accurately, we can't find a place to put it."

"What?" Daniel frowned.

"We have your notes Daniel. There should be an open panel in the center, but it's smooth. There's no indentation, nothing. The same for the other keys. The places we thought they would fit, they don't. Captain Carter has also tried to place it, and tried to trigger some other keys without success. We're hoping you have some advice."

Hammond turned to look at Daniel who was biting his lip as he thought. Abruptly, he opened the folders and started spreading the photos over the desk in front of Harriman. "Alright. There's a small panel on the back. Did you try depressing that?"

"Yes. No response."

"What about Sam?"

"Captain Carter?"

There was a brief shuffle as Sam looked into the camera. "Daniel?"

"Have you tried all the buttons? You have the Myomis gene that the tomb would recognise."

"I tried everything you gave us. The back panel, the side carvings, even in a couple combinations. Nothing provoked a response."

"The inan?" Daniel asked, shuffling through the papers. "The ones I told you about on the left side?"

"The what?" Sam asked.

"Eyes. I said 'eyes'. Must be a bad connection." Daniel flipped through a few more pages, aware that he had slipped into Akkadian instead of English. He then looked around at Hammond and the others exchanging glances and over at the monitor. "What?"

"Not- Nothing." Sam smiled. "Yes. I tried those too."

"I need to go back." He looked up to meet Hammond's serious, assessing gaze.

The general nodded. "I agree." He looked over at the video monitor, even though Jack couldn't see him. "Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Jackson will join you shortly. You are to wait there until you hear from us."

"Yes sir." Jack nodded. "And… thank you, sir."

"We'll check back with you in 20 minutes, Colonel. Stand by."

Exactly 20 minutes later, Daniel was on one knee by the doorway in the gate room, watching as the Stargate dialled Borsippa. He was in full gear, with a helmet and flak jacket over his camouflage.

In his pack, he sorted through files and books, readying reference materials. Myomis, of course, was fluent but there were other Goa'uld sources to continue.

He looked up as someone came to stand by him and then stood quickly, barely hiding his grimace as his chest gave him a warning ache.

"General Hammond." He nodded.

"All prepared?"

"Yes. Yes, sir. I think we're ready to go."

"Doctor Jackson." Hammond began with a sigh. "This goes against my better judgement. You're injured and I know I'll be hearing some choice words from Doctor Fraiser when she returns."

Daniel's expression turned serious. "I know. Thank you. We'll be careful."

Hammond nodded and stepped back, allowing Daniel to walk toward the ramp. He waited until Daniel had almost reached the event horizon before speaking quietly.

"Godspeed, son."

Daniel stumbled out of the wormhole, blinking in the blazing sun of Borsippa. He had not been able to join SG1 on their first mission to the site when they found two tombs. The other three members of SG1 were at the gate, as well as Janet and Haller. The remainder of the mission team was still at the temple.

"Hi guys." He was cut off as Teal'c unceremoniously relieved him of his pack. "Oh. Thanks."

Further words were cut off as Janet made her way to his side, ordering him to strip off his vest and helmet, passing both to Sam. "How are you feeling, Doctor Jackson?" She asked him as she made a check of his pulse and vitals, nodding to herself.

"Fine." Daniel looked around. "Where is it? _Ow_." He looked down as Janet checked his ribs, returning his look with a glare of her own.

Jack cleared his throat. "The little temple's one klick east. That's the Marmaduke temple."

"Marduk." Haller and Daniel corrected automatically.

"Whatever. There's the constellation picture in there. And the stone tomb. Other one is the Sore Point temple."

"Sarpanitu."

"Whatever. We start with Marmaduke."

Daniel nodded. "Ready to go. Oh." He looked down again as Janet pulled his boonie from his vest pocket and passed it to him. Settling it on his head, he nodded and the group set out.

It was a short walk to the temple, and the team chatted amiably about little things. Daniel pretended not to notice that the others were all but watching his every move.

"Wow." One hand on top of his head to secure his boonie, he stared open mouthed at the large ziggurat.

"Oh, you'll like this." Haller grinned. "Check out the tile work. Basic Egyptian sandstone with a limestone seal on the outside walls, amazing kiln baked tiles on the inside."

"With the usual sun-baked behind."

"No, no. That's the interesting part. The back tiles are also kiln fired."

"What?"

"I _know_."

"Next you're going to tell me they didn't use a bitumen based grout." Daniel scoffed, pausing at Haller's grin. "They- They didn't?"

"Oh for crying out loud." Jack took Daniel by the elbow and steered him into the building. "We brought you here for the tomb, remember?"

Daniel's protests were short-lived and trailed off as he tore himself away from the small details and walked into the interior.

"This is amazing. This- Pictures don't do it justice." He breathed.

"This is the tomb, Daniel." Haller led him into the interior.

Daniel blinked as he passed through the Ophiuchus gate, the doorway shaped like a Stargate. The room beyond the gate was hung with lights. Inside, SG3 stood guard with some younger recruits on a training mission.

"Doctor Jackson." Makepeace walked forward. "Good to see you up."

"Thank-" Daniel trailed off as he looked around before catching himself. "Thank you Colonel."

"Nice and homey, huh." Jack said as he watched Daniel spin in place, looking around.

"This is not where I died, Jack, but it looks very similar." Myomis said softly before looking down at the tomb and drawing a sharp breath. "This is it." He ran his fingertips across the surface of the tomb. "This is her tomb."

"Are you sure?" Sam stepped forward. "I mean, I tried everything, but I couldn't open it."

Myomis smiled at her. "May I have the keys?"

"Oh, of course." Haller passed Sam a heavy cloth bag which she then passed to Daniel. The archaeologist took it, oblivious to the fact that every eye was on him.

"Yes." Daniel drew the first key from its cloth wrapping. "The key I gave to Lamashtu." Jack grimaced, hearing Myomis's words spoken in Daniel's unaccented English.

Myomis reached out and touched a blank patch of the tomb, tracing a series of lines on the surface. With an electronic whirr, that portion of the tomb began to glow blue, and the surface melted away as if solid stone had turned to sand. In place of the blue glow, an indentation was left in the stone. Daniel deftly placed the key into the indentation.

"H- How-?" Carter started to speak, only to be waved back by Jack, who was intently watching Daniel and Myomis.

"Let them go, Captain." He said tersely.

"Yes, sir." She replied automatically.

Daniel's hands shook as he drew the second key from the bag. "And this key, I gave to Ennugigi." He repeated the tracing on the other side of the tomb, causing the blue light to flare up again. When the niche was once more exposed, he carefully placed the second key in the newly exposed opening. "And now." He whispered, no longer aware of his entranced audience. Myomis placed his palms on the stone surface of the tomb and dragged his hands sideways. At his touch, the surface of the stone shimmered and turned translucent, showing a lighted panel beneath.

"That's incredible." Haller whispered, stepping up. "You'd never know that wasn't stone."

Myomis looked up and gave him a quick smile before pressing a series of buttons on the newly exposed control panel.

With a slight 'shh' sound, a third lock was exposed.

"The final key belonged to Nedu." Daniel again whispered Myomis's words as he pulled the remaining key from the bag.

"Okay, hey, hold on." Everyone jumped as Jack spoke. "This is going too fast. Myomis, you have no idea what's in there, or who. We're not taking any chances with this. Everyone, move back."

With Jack's sharp commands, the spell was broken. Everyone shuffled their feet and looked around.

"Makepeace. I want you to set up your team in a circle around the tomb. I want all angles covered. Carter, and Fulton, you cover Haller. I want you here." Jack pointed a spot ten feet from the end of the tomb. Makepeace, have two of your team get the lights in here angled for full coverage, no shadows and set up a guard at the exit."

"Jack, no-one can hide in the corners." Daniel looked around.

"I'm not worried about a person, Daniel."

"Oh." Daniel stepped back, looking around as if there already was a Goa'uld on the loose. "Oh." He cleared his throat. "Good plan."

Daniel, Haller and Sam watched as the area broke out in bustling activity. Orders were given and followed. Quickly, the site was secured.

Daniel looked down as Janet pressed his flak jacket and helmet into his hands. "I can't stop you from opening this tomb, but I'd like for you to take every precaution, Doctor."

Daniel gave her an understanding smile. "Thank you." He shrugged into the jacket and, after folding up the boonie, he placed his helmet on his head.

"Positions." Jack took up his position on Daniel's right side, Teal'c on his left. Sam, Fulton and Haller on the side. Makepeace's team covered them from all angles.

Daniel breathed a deep sigh and looked around.

He placed the key carefully in the lock.

Everyone sat and watched.

And watched.

"Daniel?" Jack ventured.

"I- I don't know. Maybe the mechanism was damaged." Daniel's hands moved rapidly over the surface of the tomb. "Everything looks fine."

Sam stepped up, looking over his shoulder at the Akkadian symbols. "What are you doing?"

"Running diagnostics. So far everything is checking out."

"Maybe it's the keys?" Sam's hand hovered over one of the keys. "May I?"

"Go ahead." Daniel nodded.

They worked shoulder to shoulder. "So, the first and second keys responded as you expected. Maybe it's the third?"

"You did say it looked different, Myomis." Haller added.

Nodding, Myomis touched the key again.

"It moved." Sam said.

"Yeah." Daniel rocked the key slowly in the opening. "It doesn't quite fit."

"It's the wrong key?" Haller's voice was tinged with disbelief. "We checked the house from top to bottom. Everything."

"He showed us the key, Daniel." Jack lowered his weapon as he spoke.

"Yes. But maybe his assistant took the key when she fled."

"So where does that leave us?" Jack asked.

Daniel sighed as he stepped back. "At a dead end."

Everyone relaxed and stepped back.

"Well that sucks." Jack lifted his cap and scrubbed his hair.

"This doesn't make sense." Sam said, frustrated. "I mean, what would the Oannes do if you lost the key? You can't just lock them out forever."

"It is the most secure system we have ever made."

"It doesn't do much good if you lock yourself out." Sam looked around. "Can we break it?"

Myomis shook his head. "Not without great risk to Omoroca."

"Well, what about a spare set of keys?" Jack shrugged.

"The final key is unique. It's a genetic marker in case I was killed." Daniel spoke, mixing up his and Myomis's thoughts and speech patterns again.

"Oh-okay." Sam nodded. "And so how does it work?"

"The keypad acts as an interface." Daniel said, waving a hand over the third key slot. "The blood is kept in a reservoir in the key. It interacts with the keypad to release the locks."

"Myomis told you this?" Teal'c asked.

"Nnnno. I just- I just know it." Daniel's attempt at a matter of fact tone failed miserably. He looked down and cleared his throat.

"Alright." Sam tried to pick up the conversation. "So the blood releases the marker."

"So what about I prick my finger and bleed on it?" Jack asked.

"Well, in theory, it could work. But you don't have the genetic marker of Myomis's family." Daniel straightened up. "But I do."

"As does Captain Carter." Teal'c nodded.

"So if I-" Daniel's hand reached for the keypad.

"Ah!" Jack interrupted, lifting his gun. "Makepeace."

Makepeace turned. "Marines, back in position." His team reacted instantly, taking their places again. With a quick flurry of activity, everything was set up.

"Okay, here goes." Daniel opened his hand, lowering it slowly to the keypad. With only one hesitation, he laid his palm on the key lock.

"Anything?" Sam looked up at him.

"No. Nothing so- ah!" Daniel lurched forward.

"Doctor Jackson?" Janet rushed up to him.

"I'm okay. I'm fine." Daniel straightened up. "Feels like a large needle just buried itself in my hand. I'm okay."

Noting his greyish complexion, Jack spoke. "You don't look okay."

"I'm fine." Daniel's tone was tight and he put his free hand up, warding Janet away.

"Sir, I think we should call this off." Janet hovered next to Daniel anyway.

"No." Myomis finally spoke. "We are very close."

"Doc, your call." Jack looked at them both, gun still pointing at the tomb.

"Doctor Jackson, please. We'll try this under more controlled conditions."

"What if- ah." Daniel grimaced again, stepping back as his hand was freed.

"Daniel?" Jack asked as Janet gently pulled Daniel's wounded hand down to examine it.

"Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to sit down and let me examine you."

Daniel's reply was lost as the tomb made a sudden whirring noise, followed by a series of clicks.

"It worked." Daniel stepped up to the tomb again, scanning over the Akkadian text. "It worked." He repeated.

"It did?" Sam craned her neck, looking over the symbols.

"Yes. It's restarting the healing cycle, bringing her out of stasis." He tapped a display with his good hand. "Fourteen hours until it opens, more or less."

"Fourteen hours?"

"Well, I'm converting from the Oannes time scale, but yes. Fourteen hours, give or take."

"Plenty of time to rest. Colonel, I'm pulling rank on this one." At Jack's nod, Janet turned back to Daniel. "I'd like you to come sit down and rest, Doctor Jackson."

"I-"

"Daniel, sit." Jack nodded. "We'll watch. Fourteen hours."

Daniel looked from Jack, to the tomb and finally to Janet before allowing her to lead him away. Sam and Teal'c quickly set up a portable cot they brought with them, for just such an occasion. While she tended to the puncture in Daniel's hand and checked him over, Jack and Makepeace looked at the tomb.

"So, we just hunker down for fourteen hours, Colonel?" Makepeace asked, looking around.

Jack shrugged. "Give or take."

"Colonel." Haller spoke up. "I'd like to take this opportunity to look at the other tomb. Perhaps it has a similar mechanism to this one. Now that we have the time, I'd like to catalogue whatever I can."

Jack looked around. "Okay. Makepeace, you and SG3 take Haller and Fulton to the other site. Do not, I repeat, _do not_ attempt to open the tomb without backup. I know that Myomis and Daniel are convinced this is Omoroca but I don't want to have multiple hostiles if they are wrong.

"Yes, sir." Makepeace nodded. "Gear up."

SG1 watched them get ready and move out, standing in a comfortable silence once they had gone.

"So Daniel…" Jack turned back, only to meet Fraiser's stern shake of the head.

Looking over the doctor, he spotted Daniel, on his back in the cot, already appearing to sleep.

"Doc?" He frowned in Janet's direction.

"Sleeping, Colonel. And, no." She headed off his next question. "I didn't give him anything."

"Is he alright? He went down pretty fast." Sam hunched her shoulders and looked worried.

"He's putting on a brave face, Captain, but he's sick and it's not getting better."

"But he seems well." Teal'c spoke firmly.

"He's not getting better, but he's getting better at hiding his symptoms." Janet's voice went soft. "Let's let him rest."

A few hours later, Jack was prowling the perimeter restlessly, Teal'c was meditating on the ground across from Daniel's cot and Sam was hunched over the tomb taking pictures and making notes on the alien technology.

"SG1, this is Makepeace. Come in." The colonel's voice crackled over the radio.

Jack spoke as he walked into the room. "O'Neill here."

"Colonel, Haller may have found something."

There was a bit of static as Haller activated his radio. "Colonel O'Neill, I think we need to bring Myomis and Daniel here."

"Haller, that's not such a good idea."

"I know they're sick, Colonel, but this is important."

Jack sighed. "What is it?"

"The key that didn't fit in the Omoroca tomb? Colonel, I think it may fit this tomb."

There was a long pause. "Haller-"

"No, Colonel, of course we haven't tried it. It's just that there is a key lock visible on this tomb and it exactly matches the key we have. It could be coincidence. It could be some weird Oannes genetic key that still won't work, but it could possibly be the key that opens this tomb." Haller spoke in a rush. "And shouldn't we at least try it?"

There was silence as Jack thought it over. "Give me a minute." He released the radio microphone.

"We should investigate this opportunity." Teal'c said, opening his eyes and standing up.

"I agree, sir." Carter looked up from her notes.

"I disagree." Janet spoke from the side. "Colonel, from the reports, that is quite a climb. I don't agree with Doctor Jackson being here in the first place, and I really don't think this would be a wise decision."

Jack paused. "Not to mention the potential risk of being taken on two sides by hostiles if these things happen to contain Goa'uld."

There was another long pause. "What if we ask Daniel?" Sam hazarded.

"Ask Daniel?" Jack's tone was mildly incredulous. "Yes, and it would be so hard to predict his response. I'm sure he'll just want to sleep."

"True." Sam smiled, looking over at their team-mate.

"In all likelihood, Myomis is correct and it is Omoroca within this tomb." Teal'c said. "The genetic key should not have worked if it were not Myomis who sealed the tomb. We have no reason to dispute Myomis's version of events and every reason to believe that we are not dealing with a hostile Goa'uld in this chamber."

"Okay. I'll give you that." Jack waited for Teal'c to continue.

"Therefore, it may be to our advantage to procure an unknown alien entity. Perhaps this is yet another member of Myomis's imprisoned family."

"And maybe it's another Goa'uld Oannes mix like Ea."

"That is a possibility."

Jack stood and stared at the tomb for a moment, before swinging around to look at Daniel.

"Colonel?" Haller's voice crackled over the radio.

Jack looked up at the ceiling and then clicked on his radio. "Alright. We'll get Daniel up there as soon as we can."

"Colonel-" Janet started, only to stop when Jack raised a finger.

"Doc, top priority is getting this thing solved. Maybe then Nem can put all of this right. I want you to keep watch on Daniel. Carter, Teal'c. You two will stay here. I'll have one of Makepeace's team escort Haller back in case this thing opens early."

"Yes sir." Sam's voice barely concealed her disappointment that she would be staying behind. "I'll just go wake Daniel up." She nodded and turned back to Daniel, still stretched out on the cot and unaware of the argument surrounding him.

Sam touched his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. "Hey." She smiled as he blinked up at her. "Time to get up. Doctor Haller wants you to see something." She stumbled to a halt as Daniel's expression changed from squinty sleepiness to wonder.

"Lamashtu?" He said, in Daniel's voice, not Myomis's.

"N-No." Sam looked around. "Daniel? It's Sam. Sam C-Carter." She stumbled over the awkward introduction.

Daniel's eyes closed and his put his palms over his face. "Sam. Sorry. It's- I'm getting so confused. I see-" He cleared his throat and lurched forward to sit up in the cot. "Sorry. I'm fine. What's up?"

"Doctor Haller wants you to come to the other site. He thinks the key that we have could open the other tomb."

"What? That's insane. What are the odds?" Daniel looked around, searching for his glasses, offering Janet a brief smile as she handed them to him.

"Well, actually, probably pretty good. If it was Ea or Marduk who built this place, they may have sealed the second tomb before they got stuck on Earth."

"Wait, what about Omoroca? We can't just-"

"Carter and Teal'c will stay here. Come on Daniel, let's go." The concern in Jack's voice softened the order.

"Okay." Daniel looked around, as if he was forgetting something. "Okay." He touched his palm to Omoroca's tomb before following Jack. "Coming."

The climb to the tomb took twice as long as it should have, with Daniel's damaged ribs and Janet's compulsive need to keep evaluating him. Eventually, though, they reached the top. Jack ushered Daniel through the golden temple briskly, bringing him straight to the tomb, where Makepeace and his team waited.

"Wow." Daniel's attention focused completely on the tomb.

"Can you open it?" Jack asked, motioning for Makepeace and his team to take their positions again.

"I don't know." Daniel's voice changed to Myomis's familiar accent as he swiped his palms over the golden surface of the tomb. Like Omoroca's tomb, the surface rippled and changed to a glowing keypad. "Two of the keys have been placed into the tomb." Myomis pointed to the end of the tomb. "It needs only the final key."

"Alright. We'll try it. Myomis, back up and put Daniel back in charge."

When Daniel backed up and looked curiously at him, Jack retrieved Daniel's pack from where Teal'c had placed it, near the tomb entrance. "Gear up first, Daniel. Same routine as before."

"Okay." Daniel looked down as Janet stepped up and helped him shrug into his flak jacket. "Uh, thanks." He blinked at Jack as he passed him his helmet. He frowned at the helmet. "Isn't this a little-"

"No." Jack interrupted him. "Put it on."

Daniel nodded and put the helmet on. "I'm ready."

"Okay, here we go." Jack's demeanour turned serious, all humour evaporating from his face. "Makepeace, get ready."

Makepeace looked at his team. "In position."

"Okay." Jack took position closest to the tomb, gun at the ready. "I don't want anyone firing without authorization. Is that understood?"

A chorus of, "Yes, sir!" answered him.

Daniel stepped forward with the key in his hands. Jack stood at one side of him.

"Don't take any chances." Jack muttered sotto voce. Daniel would have to be the one to give the order to shoot. They would have to trust his and Myomis's judgement on this.

Daniel nodded, licking his lips and looking nervously around. If something bad rose up from the altar and someone's nerve broke, Daniel would be in the line of fire. Judging from the warning glares Jack was shooting at the other soldiers, he was well aware of that fact as well.

"Here goes." He stepped forward and slid the key into place in the ornate surface of the altar. He cocked his head and watched, fascinated, as the colour bled out of the crystal, absorbed into the hidden machinery of the chamber. With a frustrated grumble, Jack hooked his hand around the back of Daniel's vest and tugged him gently back a few feet.

Daniel's head jerked around and he met Jack's eyes, nodding again and giving ground. They both turned back to the altar as a low rumbling filled the room. There was the rattling sounds of weapons being readied, and steadied as the altar lid split neatly in two.

Daniel's jaw dropped slightly as the altar opened up. Jack's eyes were firmly on the altar. Almost everyone else had their eyes shifting between Daniel and the unknown threat.

Eventually, the tomb stilled and everyone held their breath. Daniel craned his neck, but couldn't see inside the high tomb. The body was covered in a long, ornate wrap, hiding its features.

Daniel jumped slightly as the figure moved, as if drawing in a breath. Jack held up a warning hand as several soldiers echoed Daniel's move. Everyone was tightly strung, and he didn't want any accidents. Daniel took a half step forward, only to run into Jack's shoulder as the older man took one determined stride sideways and put himself between Daniel and any potential threat.

"Hello?" Daniel called in a questioning tone, hands up. He began to speak soothingly in a strange language. Jack could tell by the inflection and accent that Daniel, not the memory of Myomis, was in control here. Jack stayed still as Daniel put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and stepped around the soldier.

"Dammit, Daniel." Jack grated, but allowed the archaeologist past.

Moving slowly, Daniel kept up the one-sided dialogue. Everything came to a halt as the figure sat up abruptly with a growl. The cloth slipped down, revealing a pair of brilliant blue eyes under a shock of black hair. Daniel's mouth dropped open.

"I know you." He whispered and held out his hand. The two locked gazes for a moment as the stranger hissed through his sharp teeth.

Everything started too move far too quickly for Jack. The stranger struck out and latched a hand around Daniel's throat, spinning him around and bending him backward over the edge of the altar.

"Don't shoot! Ah." Daniel gasped, wincing at the clawed fingers needling the side of his neck. Jack stepped forward, gun raised.

"Let him go. Now!"

"Jack." Daniel waved a hand vaguely in the Colonel's direction. "Wait." Daniel placed his hand over the stranger's hand at his neck. His voice deepened and he spoke urgently to the other.

"Myomis?" Jack ventured when the Oannes stopped speaking. The pair were looking into each others' eyes like long lost brothers.

"Colonel?" Makepeace asked.

"Everyone, back off." Jack ordered brusquely. This had been going on too long. The men were getting too nervous. "Pascal, Weaver. Stand down." Those two were the most twitchy. Pascal was starting to sweat, finger clenching on the trigger. Weaver had been rocking from side to side. He looked like he was spoiling for a fight. As long as Daniel was all but lying in the lap of the creature, Jack wanted loose cannons disarmed.

The soldiers took small steps backward, while Weaver and Pascal backed away, weapons down.

Jack sidled the last few steps forward. He still had his gun up, but was able to lay his other hand on the shoulder of his team-mate.

"Daniel?"

"It's him, Jack." Daniel breathed.

"Who?" Jack said tersely.

Daniel looked up at the alien being holding him.

"It's Myomis."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Forty**_

"You gotta be kidding me." Jack said, looking down his gun at Myomis, the real Myomis, as the Oannes snarled back at him.

"Ah." Daniel grunted despite the claws in his neck. "Don't- Not a good time to get him angry, Jack." Myomis pulled him closer, arching him backward. Daniel's face went white as his broken ribs protested and Myomis's hand closed even tighter around his throat.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, gun still focused on Myomis. Daniel was looking up at the ceiling, mouth opening and closing, unable to speak.

Daniel went limp as Myomis lurched forward and climbed out of the coffin, still holding him as a shield. Daniel's hands were wrapped around Myomis's arm, trying to gain back a little breathing room. The Oannes was tall, standing almost seven feet. His skin was a faint green, and his eyes were a brilliant blue, without any white to them. He hissed at Jack, revealing sharp teeth. Despite the obvious threat, Jack took a step forward. "Drop him, now." He repeated. "Fulton." He called to the sergeant. "Translate."

"Yes, sir." Fulton lowered his weapon and dropped to his knees, going through his books. "Colonel, I can't speak Akkadian as well as Doctor Haller, and-"

"Just try."

Fulton stumbled through some words. Myomis growled, shaking Daniel roughly.

"I- Sir, I don't know. Trick?"

"No." Jack shook his head. "Myomis." Taking a chance, Jack lowered his weapon. He pointed at the Oannes. "Myomis." He then pointed at Daniel. "Myomis."

"La! Myomis."

Daniel's knees gave way, only Myomis holding him up. "Colonel, we need to get to Doctor Jackson." Janet spoke quietly, but tersely.

"I know. Fulton?"

"Trying, sir." Fulton looked up from his book and tried a different phrase.

In his peripheral vision, Jack watched Makepeace's team and their trainees. Pascal and Weaver were armed again.

"Myomis, drop him." Jack spread his hands wide. "Drop him."

Myomis, the real Myomis, hesitated. His confusion was evident. He wrapped one arm around Daniel's chest, the other hand still around his throat. Daniel was almost completely limp.

"Colonel." Janet repeated again as one of Daniel's hands released its grip and dropped.

"I can take him out, Colonel. One shot." Makepeace said, causing Myomis to turn and snarl at him.

"Damn it, no. I said back off. Fulton!"

The sergeant was ready, speaking hesitatingly. Myomis paused, but did not look convinced.

"Good, keep going."

"I'm trying, sir. Akkadian-English reference books don't have listings for 'awakened genetic memory' though."

Jack gritted his teeth as a headache started behind his eyes. "Keep going."

Fulton nodded and continued on. Myomis was not convinced, but not as aggressive.

Jack shook his head, trying to clear it as the pain suddenly spiked. "Colonel?" Makepeace asked.

"I'm fine." He grated, grinding a knuckle into his eye.

"Colonel? What's happening?" Janet was next to him. "Sir, can you speak English?"

"What?" He frowned at her, only realising then that he was no longer speaking in his usual voice, or language. "Do-" Jack's eyes closed as pain overwhelmed him. When he opened his eyes again, he had somehow completely changed. Janet stepped back as she looked at the grim expression on his face.

Myomis stepped back, dragging Daniel.

"La, Myomis. La." Jack's voice was calm. Myomis flinched as Jack stepped forward, speaking rapid Akkadian. Myomis started shaking his head.

"La." He whispered. "Nedu, la."

"Doctor?" Makepeace whispered, stepping over to her. "What the hell?"

"I…" Janet looked at him. "I think Colonel O'Neill has been replaced by his dormant Oannes personality."

Myomis reached the same conclusion at the same time. His eyes went wide and he shook his head more vehemently. Daniel's body hit the floor softly as Myomis released him and stumbled back against the wall before sliding to the floor. As evidence of how firmly Jack was taken over by Nedu, he simply stepped over Daniel on his way to Myomis.

"Colonel?" Janet whispered to his back, before seizing the opportunity. She dropped to her knees and crawled out to Daniel. Fulton immediately joined her and together, they dragged the unresponsive archaeologist back.

Janet began her examination as Makepeace stepped in front of her. Jack dropped to his knees before Myomis, the Nedu personality speaking fluently to Myomis.

"Doctor, what do we do?" Makepeace asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Colonel." Janet answered. "It looks as though Nedu has the colonel under his control."

"This is the personality that attacked Doctor Jackson?"

Janet paused, her hands probing Daniel's throat and chest as she checked his breathing. "Yes."

Makepeace's weapon wavered between the Oannes and Jack. "Damn."

"If it's any comfort, he doesn't look threatening to us." Fulton added. "He seems to be trying to help."

"Can you understand him?"

"No, sir. They're speaking too fast."

"Colonel, we need to get Doctor Jackson back through the Stargate. I need to monitor him."

Makepeace mulled his options over silently. On the floor, Nedu leaned forward, placing the palm of one hand against Myomis's cheek before rising to his feet. "Myomis šemûm." He nodded and closed his eyes, abruptly losing his balance and staggering sideways.

"Nedu?" Janet asked, worried.

"Fulton." Makepeace said, weapon still on Jack.

"Uh… uh. The word 'šemûm' means to listen… to hear successfully."

"Oy." Jack shook his head.

"Colonel?" Janet said, relief evident in her voice.

"What the hell? Daniel?" Jack looked at his team-mate and then up at Makepeace, still aiming a weapon at him. "Makepeace?"

"Colonel." Makepeace replied calmly. "You weren't yourself."

Jack frowned and then turned to look at Myomis, staring intently at all of them. "Aw crap." He looked back at Daniel. "I didn't-"

"No. No, sir. This was Myomis's doing."

"Ah. Anâku Myomis makhâtsum." The Oannes rose to his knees and bowed his head.

"Fulton?" Both Jack and Makepeace spoke in unison.

"He says he was the one who attacked Myomis. I think… I think he understands now."

"Sir, we need to get Doctor Jackson back to the SGC."

"Daniel." Everyone turned as Myomis spoke. The Oannes rose quickly, standing to his full height despite the guns trained on him. "Anâku paqâdum." Myomis stared intently at Jack, before saying, "Please".

"Whoa." Jack stepped back. "Did he-?"

"Yeah." Fulton's jaw dropped.

"English?"

"Yes, sir. He says he wants to take care of Daniel."

"That's ominous."

"No, sir. It's the good kind of care."

Moving slowly, trying to reduce the perceived threat, Myomis stepped forward with his hands raised.

"Colonel?" Makepeace asked, his weapon still pointed at Myomis.

"Stand down." Jack watched Myomis crouch next to Daniel. "I don't think he means any harm. Well, any more harm."

Myomis touched Daniel's cheek once and then looked him over. Still suspicious, Janet kept one hand on Daniel's chest and stared at him.

"Dannatum sinnishtum." Myomis looked over at Janet and smiled.

"Wh- What?" Janet looked at Fulton.

"I think he called you a strong woman, Ma'am."

Myomis looked around and paused, as if thinking. "Jack." He waved him over. "Jack." Myomis was clearly frustrated by his inability to communicate. He hissed through his teeth and then making up his mind, he slid one arm under Daniel's shoulders, one under his knees and then stood up with a grunt.

"Whoa now, hold it." Jack grabbed Daniel's arm, prepared for a tug o' war. Myomis hissed at him, but irritated rather than threatening. He spoke rapidly in Akkadian, looking over at Fulton.

"Wait, wait." Fulton frantically flipped through his books. "Just wait."

"Anâku paqâdum Daniel." He jerked his head sideways. "Daniel."

Shouldering past Jack, Myomis walked over to the tomb.

"Oh no, now, hold on." Jack grabbed his arm. "No way. Call me crazy, but I don't think Daniel will be all that thrilled about waking up in 4,000 years."

Myomis looked at him, puzzled. "Daniel." He repeated, leaning toward the tomb.

"Yeah, Daniel, in the tomb. I said 'no'."

"Nedu, mušallimānu." Myomis spoke slowly, probably for Fulton's benefit.

"Uh." Jack looked around.

"The translation is 'healer', sir."

"Jack, nagâsum." Myomis's eyes bored into Jack's. "Nagâsum."

Jack stared at him before giving his head a sharp nod. "Yeah. Do it." He stepped back.

"Colonel?" Janet stepped forward.

"Enough, Doc. Let him do it."

"Sir, I cannot stress enough that I don't know-"

Jack leaned over to speak to Janet, trying to block out the other soldiers. "Listen, he's not doing very well. You know it, and I know it. We gotta get him down those stairs, back to the other group and back to the Stargate. He-" Jack stopped and looked away.

Janet straightened up and nodded. "Yes, sir." She said quietly.

Jack looked over at Myomis. "Do it."

The Oannes might not have understood the words, but he understood the tone. Nodding once, he placed Daniel into the tomb, carefully folding his arms over his chest and straightening his legs. He touched Daniel's forehead with his fingertips before nodding to himself and touching a button on the side of the tomb.

With a soft noise, the tomb slid shut. Myomis selected the buttons carefully, his claws making light clicking noises on the hard surface of the tomb. When the sequence was complete, he sighed and started to sag.

"Whoa." Jack stepped forward and grabbed Myomis as the Oannes' head dropped and he started to list sideways. "Doc."

"Lower him to the ground." Fulton and Janet each stepped forward to assist. The three of them managed to get Myomis to a sitting position, propped up against the tomb.

"He okay?"

"I have no idea, Colonel. I'm assuming his physiology is close to that of humans, but he is quite obviously an alien species. I have no idea what is normal for them. If I had to guess, I'd say he probably got light headed." She checked him over, sticking to the routine, even without a baseline to use.

"Yeah, probably a little out of shape after 4,000 years in a box." Makepeace drawled. "Speaking of which-"

"I know. Here's hoping that box works a little faster on Daniel." Jack stood up, taking off and repositioning his baseball cap. "I know."

"Colonel, perhaps we should advise the other camp. We could be looking at days here." Janet said, still checking over Myomis.

"Days." Jack looked around. He pointed at Myomis. "Fulton, can he tell us how long?"

"Uh, yes. I hope so, sir." Fulton looked through his books, trying some halting words in Akkadian.

For his part, Myomis gave a faint smile and turned his head to the side, touching a small glowing green disc on the side of the tomb.

"Jack." He said softly. Jack looked down at him, frowning as Myomis held up his hand, fingers spread. "Daniel." One by one, Myomis folded his fingers inward, until only his index finger remained. As he curled it into a fist, finishing the countdown, the tomb made a slight whirring noise and began to open.

"Nice." Jack breathed, stepping forward. "Daniel?"

Everyone jumped as Daniel took a huge breath and sat bolt upright. Janet was the first to recover, checking his pulse, and looking him over.

"He's healed."

Daniel put his hands on his chest, squinting as he looked around, despite the glasses still perched precariously on the end of his nose. "What happened? Why am I in the maṣallu?" He mixed the Akkadian and English fluently, attempting to keep a reasonable tone of voice.

"Myomis?" Jack hazarded.

"Yes?" The Oannes replied in Daniel's voice.

"Daniel?"

"Yes?" Daniel frowned up at Jack. "What?"

"Which one?"

"What?"

"Who are you?"

"Jack."

"Oh no, I'm Jack."

"What?"

"No. Who."

"What?" Daniel looked around before leaning in and speaking in a low voice. "Jack. Are you alright?"

"He's fine." Janet interrupted. "Well, it looks like the healing device had no effect on your personalities."

"Personalities. Myomis!" Daniel looked around, remembering.

Jack discretely pointed downward where Myomis sat. The Oannes smiled slightly before pushing himself upright and standing.

"Myomis." Daniel smiled. "This- This is incredible."

"Daniel." Myomis spoke in rapid Akkadian. Unlike Fulton, Daniel had no trouble keeping up. His and Myomis's merged memories were helping him become near fluent. Without breaking stride, Myomis helped him out of the tomb, steadying him as he stood up.

"Daniel?" Jack attempted to break in to the conversation, only to be ignored. "Oh, Daniel?" Jack sing-songed. Daniel and Myomis broke off and turned to look at him.

"Listen, guys, I know you have a lot of catching up to do, and I'm not saying that I'm not amazed as anything but there's the small matter of Daniel's health and a tomb opening in a few hours a few miles away. So, once Janet gives Daniel and Myomis and… Myomis Mark Two a clean bill of health, what say we move this little shindig back to Carter and Teal'c."

"Oh, right. I better tell him." Daniel turned back to Myomis and spoke again.

Everyone watched Myomis's expression change from interest to flat out wonder. He nodded vigorously and looked around for the exit.

"It looks like he's ready." Jack said dryly.

- - - - -

It took far longer to go down the stairs from the tomb than it had to ascend them. Fulton, a compulsive worrier and their lead climber, monitored every step they took down the crumbling edifice. Myomis, due to his size and the fact that they really weren't expecting him, had to have a climbing harness rigged up for him and Fulton hovered constantly, fearful of it failing.

Finally, they reached the ground. Once the climbing gear was repacked and Janet had checked on Daniel, Jack and Myomis to her satisfaction, the group continued their trek back to the first site and the other half of the team.

About two minutes away from the other site, Jack called a halt.

"Carter, come in."

"Colonel?"

"Yeah. We're almost back to your location. Advising of increased party size."

"Sir? I-" Sam's voice was confused.

"The tomb was not empty. We brought someone back with us. Just don't want you guys to… over-react."

"Someone, sir?"

"A good someone, Carter. ETA two minutes. Just don't blast us or anything."

"Yes, sir." Carter's hesitant tone promised nothing.

- - - - -

As they entered the first camp, Jack was greeted by the business end of Teal'c's staff weapon.

"Whoa." He jumped back, gun up.

"Hey guys." Daniel said cheerfully. "What's up?"

Carter stood behind Teal'c, gun also ready. "A good someone, sir?"

"You know, Carter." Jack began in a clearly forced pleasant tone. "When I radioed ahead, it was to give you a heads up, not to give you time to shoot me."

"Yes sir." Sam was good, by-the-book soldier. "I appreciate that, sir. As you no doubt remember, there was the possibility of a Goa'uld in that chamber and we needed to take appropriate precautions."

Sam's breath drew in sharply as Myomis pushed past the others, impatient to get to the Omoroca tomb. Myomis halted when he saw the other soldiers in the room, but his attention focused immediately on Sam.

"Myomis?" Sam asked, gun dropping.

"Lamashtu?" Myomis stepped forward as Sam scrambled backward. Daniel grabbed Myomis by the sleeve, speaking rapid Akkadian.

Haller, mouth wide open, stared between Carter and Myomis, with occasional stops at Daniel. "Captain? This is Myomis?"

"I-" Sam was confused. "I don't know why I said that."

"Probably Lamashtu is starting to integrate in to your conscious mind in a manner similar to Doctor Jackson and Myomis. You're starting to have more access to Lamashtu's memory." Janet tossed out a theory.

"I just looked at him, and I knew."

Daniel, meanwhile, had succeeded in relaying to Myomis that Sam, while genetically similar to Lamashtu, did not have Lamashtu's memories. With obvious reluctance, Myomis nodded and forced himself to look away.

Teal'c still kept his staff weapon trained on Myomis.

"Hey, big guy. It's okay." Jack waved a hand. He's not a Goa'uld. He's the real deal. Our Myomis recognised him- himself, whatever."

"Wow. What are we going to tell General Hammond?" Carter asked as Teal'c nodded and lowered his staff weapon.

"We tell him the truth." Jack hazarded.

"Yes." Daniel replied with a mildly sarcastic tone. "Let's tell him. 'Well, General Hammond, against doctor's orders, we scaled the other tomb. Doctor Jackson was again unable to control his alter ego, who then opened a previously unsealed tomb and got himself nearly killed in the process when it released a hostile alien. Our mission commander's mind was taken over by a formerly hostile alien influence. Guns were drawn and eventually the aliens were talked down. Doctor Jackson was then thrown into an unknown alien device in the vain hopes that it would heal body and fractured mind.' That about got it?"

No one knew quite how to reply to that until Jack spoke. "So, a slightly modified version of the truth. Isn't that why we bring you along, Doctor Diplomat?"

Daniel's mouth opened and closed as he was left without a retort.

"It's true?" Sam said, hand returning to her gun nervously.

"Well, in a manner of speaking." Jack waved his hands dismissively. "It's not important. What is important is how you knew all that, Daniel. Weren't you unconscious?" He spun around to face Daniel.

Daniel looked around. "Myomis told me."

"If you're unconscious, then he's-"

Daniel's head jerked subtly sideways. "The real one, Jack."

They all rotated slowly to look at the seven foot tall alien that had somehow managed to be overlooked through the exchange. Myomis, on the other hand, was still ignoring them, engrossed in the Omoroca tomb.

Daniel pushed his way through his team-mates and spoke in rapid Akkadian to Myomis. They conversed for a few seconds.

"It's her." Daniel said. "It's really Omoroca."

"We know." Sam smiled. "You told us before."

"Well, yeah but he confirms it." Realising that none of his team had doubted him, Daniel flushed a little. To cover it, he cleared his throat and said rapidly. "So, General Hammond's report?"

As if he had given a signal, their radios beeped and Hammond's voice came over the comm. "SG1, this is Hammond. Do you copy?"

Everyone swivelled to look at Daniel who did his best helpless shrug.

Still glaring at Daniel, Jack pressed his radio button and spoke. "Yes, sir. Colonel O'Neill here."

"Colonel. Sorry for the interruption. How goes the mission?"

"Well sir. I-" Jack looked around. "I think Daniel should fill you in."

"What?" Daniel squawked. Jack made a 'hurry up' gesture at him. Daniel's eyes shot around the room before he fixed on a point in the distance. "General." He attempted a neutral tone.

"Doctor Jackson. How are you?"

"I'm good, sir. I'm actually, um, pretty good." Daniel decided to barrel right to the point. "We opened one of the tombs, sir."

"Congratulations, Doctor. That is, of course, the object of your mission."

Daniel licked his lip. "Not that tomb." Jack winced.

"I see." The General spoke after a long pause. "Colonel O'Neill." The name was a clear order.

"Yes sir." Jack responded immediately.

"I don't recall opening a second tomb on your mission orders."

"Not exactly, sir." Jack cleared his throat. "I sent Fulton and Makepeace's team to investigate. Daniel was able to start the opening sequence on Omoroca's tomb."

"Not long to go, General." Daniel broke in.

"I see."

"They were able to confirm that there was a tomb there and that one of the keys we brought with us would potentially unlock the other tomb. So, Daniel checked it out."

"And Doctor Fraiser agreed with this?" Hammond's tone was glacial.

Janet pursed her lips. "Yes, sir. I accompanied them."

Hammond sighed. "Alright. What did you find."

"Myomis, sir." Jack answered.

"What about him, Colonel?"

"No, sir. We found him. The alien one. The one from the stories. The one who gave Daniel the memories."

There was a long pause. Long enough to make Jack ask tentatively. "General?"

"I'm here. This- That's good news, Colonel." There was another pause. "Colonel, I'd like you to send a team to the Stargate immediately. Nem is here with us, and I believe he'd like to join you for the next tomb opening."

Myomis's head shot up at the name 'Nem'. "Daniel?"

Patiently, Daniel explained what was happening. Myomis responded with a pointed-tooth grin.

"Yes, sir." Jack replied. "Makepeace and his team will meet Nem at the gate, ASAP."

Hammond appeared appeased. "And Colonel?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I expect a full report from all parties when you return." The steel was back in his tone. Jack tensed up.

"Absolutely, General."

Jack signalled for Makepeace's team to move out.

- - - - -

They spent the next two hours with Daniel and Myomis attempting to teach the real Myomis some basic English. Jack was amazed. If he'd thought Daniel's Myomis learned quickly, this new guy put them all to shame.

"How do they do that?" He asked, finally too curious.

"Ah, it's a form of, for lack of a better word, telepathy." Daniel replied. "Not true telepathy, he's not reading thoughts or anything, but they can sense meanings to words. It's difficult to explain. He can literally use our surface thoughts like a dictionary, reading the words he needs from them, and understanding the context. Nem did it to me when I was his captive. At first, my thoughts were on communicating. He was able to pull enough words from my mind to ask me what language I spoke. Then, he gave me translation puzzles. Not so much an effort to get me to translate, I mean he certainly didn't need me to tell him the laws of Babylon, but to make me focus my thoughts on something other than escape or communicating. It gave him a broader linguistic scope to work with. He was able to use that to communicate with me." Daniel's rapid-fire ideas wound down.

"That makes no sense." Jack spoke slowly in contrast. He held up a hand as Daniel looked ready to continue the explanation. "But I believe you anyway. Let's just say he learns quickly."

"Colonel O'Neill? This is Makepeace."

"Makepeace? Report." Jack thumbed the radio button.

"ETA five minutes."

"Roger that. O'Neill out."

"Alright, Daddy's on his way." Jack looked back at Daniel and Myomis… and Myomis. It was amazing how the new alien fit right in. He and Daniel's Myomis had the same personality and mannerisms, so it was like watching some especially creepy twins when Daniel's Myomis and the real Myomis spoke to each other.

And then, of course, was the issue of Daniel and his Myomis's increasing integration. It was getting harder and harder to tell the pair apart. Myomis's accent had all but disappeared, and Daniel's understanding of Oannes and Akkadian was nearly fluent. In fact, about the only way to tell the difference now was by some mannerisms and the occasional odd cadence to Myomis's speech. It was all getting too close for comfort for Jack and he had a feeling that he and Nem would soon be having a 'talk' about Daniel's future appointment with an Oannes head-sucker.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Makepeace's rough voice broke his trance and he looked around. Makepeace tensed as Myomis scrambled to his feet, Daniel following shortly after.

"Abi!" Myomis burst out as Nem entered the chamber.

Although he had been warned by Hammond that Myomis was present, Nem still seemed shaken by the appearance of a son he thought dead for nearly 2,000 years.

"Myomis." He whispered as his son dropped to one knee before him. Nem bade Myomis stand, and took his son's face in his hands. Myomis leaned forward, and they touched their foreheads together.

With everyone focussed on the reunited pair, only Jack saw the bittersweet smile cross Daniel's lips.

- - - - -

Out of respect for Nem and Myomis, everyone including Daniel kept their distance over the next hour, allowing the two to speak. They busied themselves with menial tasks, securing the perimeter, cleaning up the tomb. Daniel and Haller made notes for a short time before Daniel gave up, unable to feign enthusiasm.

Jack dropped to the floor next to Daniel, who had taken to leaning against Omoroca's tomb, watching the countdown. Sam and Teal'c were next to him, trying to remain unobtrusive.

"So, did the new guy remember anything about how he got into the tomb?" Jack asked.

"First thing I asked him." Daniel shook his head. "He has only the memories I possess." The barest hint of an accent was all that told Jack that Myomis had spoken the second sentence.

"So no thoughts on that?"

"Oh, plenty of thoughts." Daniel checked the countdown as he replied. "Myomis obviously doesn't remember his death, although he remembers the injuries that lead to it. Unlike Omoroca whose healing cycle was interrupted, Myomis was fully healed."

"Okay?" Jack led him on.

"Meaning that someone, obviously, pulled his body from the rubble when they pulled the Omoroca tomb from the rubble. They were unable to open the Omoroca tomb because they lacked the keys and the genetic signature."

"Well, who were the possibilities for healing him?" Sam asked.

"Any of the Goa'uld present that day." Daniel shrugged. "My guess would be Ea or even Belus. It would be in their nature to do such a thing." Again, Daniel and Myomis traded sentences effortlessly.

"I assume his goal would be to continue his experiments on one of the few family members to escape the Oannes birthright." Teal'c hazarded a guess.

"Exactly. Ea's obsession was perfection. I'm guessing that at some point the gene activated and Belus changed to resemble Nem. For someone as vain as he was, it was probably unthinkable."

"They continued their experiments." Sam winced.

"Yes. On Myomis's sleeping body."

"In the same manner as Pazuzu with Lamashtu's body." Teal'c finished.

"Exactly."

"So, looking at Ea, they obviously didn't solve the problem." Jack stretched his legs out.

"I've been thinking about that. At some point, traffic between the Oannes and Earth must have been cut off, or why did Ea not simply leave? He may never have been privy to any answers Belus found." Daniel spoke hesitantly. "There is another option."

"Oh?" Sam was curious.

"The temple where we found Myomis was dedicated not to Myomis or even Belus, but to Nabu, Belus's son and to a lesser extent, Sarpanitu, Nabu's mother."

"Oh God." Sam got it first.

"Yes." For the sake of Jack and Teal'c who had not yet caught up, he explained. "It may be that Myomis, not Belus is the father of Nabu."

"This would explain how the Myomis within Daniel Jackson has memories of his death." Teal'c nodded.

"A bit grim, but yes. Conception would have occurred after Myomis's 'death', so any progeny would have the genetic memory of the death."

"Wait, so you and Carter aren't…" Jack waved his hands.

"We're descended from half siblings. Sam's memories of Lamashtu come from Meslantaea or Lugal-Irra. If we're right, then mine would come from Nabu. Different mothers but they all had Myomis as the father, hence Sam could trigger the same genetic locks that I could."

Jack shook his head, confused. "But why would he do that?"

"Perfection." Teal'c answered.

"Yeah, but not for him. Forgive me Myomis, but your family doesn't seem to be the overly loving type, present company excluded of course."

"Of course." Myomis smiled before Daniel took over again. "No, you're right though. This one I think we can place squarely on the shoulders of the Goa'uld. Belus and Marduk were a pair but still, Goa'uld seek, or prefer beauty. Some would probably like the Oannes form with the genetic defect, but as you can tell by Belus and Ea's attitude toward experimentation, they most definitely did not. The Goa'uld were never in complete control of the Oannes, but they could no doubt suggest a course of action that could lead to this."

"So how does making a 'perfect' child help the Oannes?" Sam asked.

"Well, it doesn't. But the Goa'uld…" Daniel trailed off and let everyone fill in the gaps themselves.

"Ew." This time, Jack got it first. "So the Goa'uld jumps ship and takes up in Junior. The snake gets his perfection."

"Exactly." Daniel nods.

"So what does the historical record say about Nabu then?" Sam asked.

"Patron god of scribes. By all accounts, a wise and learned god."

"I'm not hearing a lot of death and destruction here." Jack said.

"Nope, he seems to lack some of the more charming traits of the Goa'uld." Daniel replied.

"Meaning maybe they never got him."

"Well, this is all speculation."

"This is amazing, Daniel. Myomis could have another son out there." Sam was excited by the prospect. "Have you told him?"

Daniel grimaced. "Not yet. He's a little preoccupied." He leaned back and checked the countdown. "And about to become even more so." He gestured for everyone to get up. Jack rose smoothly and offered him a hand up, which he took gratefully.

"Myomis, Nem. She's waking up."

The Oannes left off their discussion and immediately came over to the tomb.

"Daniel. Thank you for… this gift. What… you have done… here." Nem inclined his head in a bow as he spoke.

"It was our pleasure." Daniel smiled, backing away as the tomb made a series of low beeps.

Although he clearly wanted to say more, Nem's attention was taken by the tomb slowly sliding open.

Daniel kept backing away until his back hit the wall. He could feel Myomis's longing to be with Nem and Omoroca like a physical ache in his chest. At the same time, Myomis felt like nothing more than a ghost, observing as the 'real' Myomis stood in the place that could have once been his.

Everyone jumped as Omoroca sat up with a gasp as she looked around the room. Like Myomis, she was human in appearance, and could be considered an exotic beauty. Her hair was long and straight and a deep blue-black. Also like Myomis, her wide eyes were solid blue, with no white in them. Her skin was a light green.

Unlike Myomis's awakening, Omoroca had her family by her side and with a delighted sound, Nem folded her into his arms for the first time in thousands of years.

Daniel felt tears well up in his eyes watching them. Jack and Teal'c were the stern soldiers while Sam gave him a nudge with her elbow.

"I am _not_ crying in front of Marines." She whispered to him, giving him a little wink, no tears evident. Her smile faltered as a tear spilled out of his eye, as he watched the reunion. "Daniel?" She said uncertainly. Then it dawned on her. "Oh, Myomis. Go to them."

"I cannot." Myomis whispered sadly. "I am just a memory."

He said nothing more. Unsure what to do, Sam dropped her arm to her side and squeezed Daniel's forearm, offering what reassurance she could. On Daniel's other side, Jack came and leaned against the wall, shoulder to shoulder with Daniel. He said nothing, but he felt Daniel's weight shift subtly to lean on his for a moment. Next to Sam, Teal'c nodded, his gaze sweeping over his team with approval.

- - - - -

It was a few long moments before the family managed to compose themselves long enough to make their way to SG1.

"This… is beyond anything…" Nem began.

"No, no. We're just glad we could help." Daniel demurred. He caught Myomis's eye. "I am very happy for you."

Jack grimaced, realising that it was not Daniel who spoke.

Omoroca gasped, walking forward. She opened her arms wide and folded Daniel into a hug.

He resisted for a long moment, spine rigid. This was a place he dared not go, not as Daniel and not as the memory of Myomis. Finally, Omoroca whispered the word that caused his resolve to crumble. "_Ummi_." _Son_.

With a long sigh, Daniel folded into her arms and buried his head on her shoulder.

- - - - -

SG1 gave the family as much time as they needed, including Daniel and the memory of Myomis, but finally, reality intruded.

"SG1, this is Hammond. Please respond."

Jack walked over to the entrance to the large chamber. "Sir, this is O'Neill."

"Colonel, report."

Jack swung back to look at the happy scene. Omoroca and Nem spoke quietly while Janet checked out Omoroca. Makepeace and the Marines were off to the side. Daniel, the Myomises, Fulton and Haller were chatting with the remainder of SG1. He allowed himself a rare smile.

"It worked, sir. Omoroca's awake. Myomis is awake. Nem's here. Doctor Fraiser is checking them out, but so far so good."

"Excellent. Congratulations to all of you. Job very well done." He paused. "How are Doctor Jackson and our Myomis?"

Our Myomis. Jack thought about that. Yes, he did feel a certain kinship with the ghost in Daniel's cranium. "It's a bit rough on them, sir, I think. But, hopefully things are coming to a close too."

"Alright, Colonel. We'll follow up on that when you're back at the SGC."

"Yes sir, just waiting for the family reunion to wind down a bit and for Fraiser to clear the new arrivals for gate travel and we'll be en route."

"We'll keep the lights on, Colonel." Jack heard the strong note of Hammond's approval, even through the crackling radio.

"You always do, sir. Thank you. Over and out."

He looked back at the large group in the tomb. "So? Everyone ready to move this party to somewhere cool and, well, cool?"

"As best I can tell, accounting for alien physiology, they seem to check out sir." Fraiser returned her penlight and her stethoscope to her medical kit as she stood.

"Alright. Nem, Omoroca and Myomis, General Hammond would take it as a personal favour if you'd drop by." Neither Omoroca nor Myomis fully understood his words, but Nem nodded slowly.

"Yes. We have much to… discuss." He rasped.

Jack made a sweeping motion. "Makepeace? After you."

- - - - -

The walk back to the Stargate was draining for all concerned. Omoroca and Myomis were noticeably listing as Daniel punched in the address for home.

Still, they made it through the gate and down the ramp, where Hammond stood in formal dress. He waited for the wormhole to close before he drew himself up to full height and spoke.

"Omoroca and Myomis. I am General George Hammond. On behalf of every member of the SGC, I welcome you to Earth. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Daniel translated things as they went along.

"I can never… repay… this debt." Nem put a clawed hand to his own chest and bowed his head. "You have given me… more than I ever… dreamed possible." He looked back over Omoroca and Myomis.

"It was our pleasure, and it is my sincere hope that relations between us will continue to prosper. I feel that we have much to learn from each other."

Jack looked around as Hammond made the first forays into diplomatic relations with Nem and the Oannes. Full house on hand to watch this. Soldiers were crammed into every square inch of the gate room, many in formal dress.

His gaze was caught by one soldier with long blonde hair. Hair in a noticeably non-regulation style. He frowned, looking closer. The face was familiar. She held up a hand, showing non-regulation jewellery. Then it clicked.

His gun was out before he could remember drawing it. He vaguely heard Carter's startled 'Sir?' before he'd taken aim.

"Drop the weapon and put your hands up!" In one quick move, Teal'c assessed the situation and stepped between Hammond and Jack's target.

"What the-?" Came Hammond's surprised question. Daniel looked around.

"Oh God. The blonde woman. Ea's assistant. What is-?"

His words were cut off as the woman took aim at Omoroca and Nem. Sam pushed them out of the way, and the pulsing blast barely missed them, spinning around several soldiers caught in the line of fire.

The woman was grabbed by the soldiers next to her, only to have her activate the weapon again and hurl them away.

A group of soldiers surrounded Hammond and bustled him to safety. A second group surrounded the Oannes and attempted to get them to safety. Easier said than done as they refused to move.

Jack took aim and fired at the blonde, catching her in the shoulder. Blood trickled from the wound, but she took no notice of it, hissing at him and raising her hand.

Barely aware of the impact, Jack felt himself flying backward over the ramp railings. He hit the ground stunned, the breath knocked out of him, his gun scrabbling away. Like the Goa'uld, the woman was using a stun weapon. It relied on a percussive force to knock an enemy down, disabling instead of killing.

He looked over as she took aim again, this time at the Oannes and…

"Daniel." He croaked as the archaeologist tackled the blonde woman, slamming her to the ground. She struggled as he tried to keep a grip on her. The struggle ended as she got one hand free and placed it against his side, activating the weapon and hurling him sideways into a wall.

Nem roared as Daniel hit the wall with a dull thud and dropped to the ground. Holding up one hand, Omoroca fired a similar weapon, catching the woman. The blonde woman slid sideways, curling up against Daniel with the weapon placed flat against his temple, the threat obvious. As everyone halted, assessing, she touched a small button on a bracelet that had been hidden under her long sleeves.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Teal'c fired his staff weapon, hitting her in the chest. She crumpled to the floor, eyes staring.

"Get Daniel… away from her." Nem said.

Sam jumped to obey, running over to Daniel and grabbing his arms, she dragged him back to Nem. As she did, a bright ring of light descended over the blonde woman. When it faded away, she was gone.

"What the-?" Sam crouched to check on Daniel, who was sitting up, wide-eyed.

"Teleportation device." Nem said slowly. "If he had remained… next to her… he would have been… taken."

"Ow." Said Jack and Daniel simultaneously as each struggled to stand up. Teal'c knelt next to Jack, while Sam assisted Daniel.

Taking a hand piece much like Omoroca's from Nem, Myomis knelt next to Daniel who was having trouble focusing.

"Whoa." Sam said in a warning tone as Myomis activated the device. But, instead of the devastating concussion, a yellow light was emitted which slid over Daniel, eliminating the bruising where ever it touched.

Omoroca knelt next to Jack and repeated the same process, healing his bruises and injuries quickly.

"We really need some of whatever those are." Sam whispered to Teal'c.

When SG1 was healed, the duo went to each of the remaining soldiers and healed them as well. Hammond returned to the gate room and surveyed the area.

"What in God's name…"

"Ea, sir." Despite being healed, Jack rose cautiously to his feet. "Rather, his assistant."

"He must have been trying to kill Omoroca and Nem."

"No." Nem shook his head slowly. "He was after… you." Hammond had advised Nem of Ea's attack on SG1 before sending him offworld to Borsippa.

"Me?" Daniel looked around. "Uh, no offence, but there's about a million ways in which he could have gotten me a lot easier than that."

"I think this was… an act of… desperation." Nem turned to face Hammond. I believe he… intended to take myself or… my mate. Failing that… he wanted Daniel."

"Okay, you I can understand, but not me."

"Are you kidding? The guy was practically drooling over you before." Jack said.

"Yeah, but there has to be an easier way."

"Daniel… he seeks both you… and the knowledge of… my son." Nem spoke.

"Well, that could be right. I mean, you guys have barely left the base since the whole," Jack waved his hands. "Thing started."

"And with the return of… my mate and… my son… I will fulfill my… oath."

"Oath?" Daniel frowned.

"I shall once again… make the Myomis inside… sleep, Daniel."

"Oh." Daniel sounded less than pleased at the prospect.

"For now… I would like to take… my family home." Nem turned to face Hammond. "We shall speak again… tomorrow. Send your people… to me."

Hammond nodded. "I understand."

"Daniel must stay… under guard. Allow none but… those he knows… near him."

"That's true, General. She can't have acted alone. They could try it again." Jack shifted uneasily at the prospect.

Myomis stepped up to Daniel, wordlessly offering him a thin, seemingly blank metal strip. "This… stops." He managed before shrugging at his poor vocabulary.

"This will stop… any transporter… devices." Nem clarified.

"Like a jamming device?" Sam asked.

Nem squinted at her, and Sam was uncomfortably reminded of Daniel's words how the Oannes could use thoughts and read them to understand other languages. Despite her nervousness over the prospect of having her thoughts read, she did her best to imaging the word 'jamming'.

Nem nodded. "Exactly."

"I shall stand guard over Daniel Jackson." Teal'c announced.

"Well, first, you'll all go to the infirmary." Janet offered a counter-proposal.

Reluctantly, they said their farewells to the Oannes and watched them leave through the wormhole. Despite the healing, Janet ushered them all to the infirmary for a checkup. After that, she sent Daniel to isolation with Teal'c to guard him. Jack and Sam each took a VIP room near by, and the team settled in for some well deserved rest.

_**Chapter Forty-One**_

"Rise and shine!" Jack opened the door to Daniel's isolation room.

"Sleeping." Daniel grumbled.

"Not any more." Jack pointed out reasonably.

"Shoot 'im, Teal'c." Daniel ordered sleepily.

"Too late, he listens to me, not you. I already sent him to get some breakfast. Time to get up. Hammond's got us booked for an early morning wormhole to Oannes. Nem will do his little-" Jack shook his hands on either side of his head. "Brain sucking thing and life will be back to normal."

Daniel forced himself to sit upright and squinted at Jack. "I've… I've been thinking about that." He wagged a finger at Jack as he looked for his glasses.

"No. No thinking. Just doing. Wormhole, brain-suck, home for dinner."

"I don't think so, Jack."

"What?"

"I said I don't think so."

"Yeah, and I said 'what?'."

"It's just that- I think Myomis could really help us."

"Yeah, sure. I buy that. And hey, after this, he's only a wormhole away."

"No, I mean, always."

"As in, you keep the memories."

"Yeah. I mean, we have the personality thing under control now. Janet can monitor the side effects."

"And if you, say, have a stroke on a planet half way across the galaxy because of your little 'complication' there, then what?"

"Jack, I could die a hundred different ways any time I go through the gate."

Jack waved his hand dismissively. "Daniel, we need this to happen because you and Myomis are blending too well. You're becoming more like him every day."

"Well, he's not such a bad guy. You seem to get along."

"That's beside the point. We don't need another egghead who speaks fluent Akkadian."

"Well, technically, we don't have anyone who speaks fluent Akkadian." Daniel caught Jack's glare. "Which is neither here nor there, but-"

"But, we do need you, Daniel."

"Well, I'll still be here."

"Mostly. Here's the thing. I said you're becoming more like him. I did not say he's becoming more like you. Alright, that's the problem. We need someone to think things though. Your buddy there thinks with his fists. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that in theory, but maybe, on occasion, we need someone who thinks first."

Daniel looked unconvinced.

"Dammit, Daniel, this is your personality we're talking about. Your mind. The guy Sha're married, the one Kasuf calls his 'good son'. These people did not do this for Myomis, they did it for Daniel Jackson. How can you just throw your whole personality away?"

"The knowledge he holds is more important than-" Daniel broke off.

"More important than you? No, Daniel, it isn't. You know what? Goa'uld know a hell of a lot. We don't run around shoving them in our skulls, do we? I can't believe we're having this conversation. Listen. I'll tell you this much. I will personally see that you get grounded until you decide to go through with this. I'm taking Doctor Daniel Jackson through that gate, or I'm taking nobody."

That said, Jack turned and left the isolation room, leaving Daniel to mull over his options.

- - - - -

"Colonel O'Neill, what's the delay?" Hammond's voice came over the intercom.

"Just waiting on Daniel and Teal'c, sir." He had sent Teal'c back to watch over Daniel while the archaeologist pondered his future.

"We are here, O'Neill." Teal'c said as he and Daniel entered, fully geared, from the side doors.

"Excellent. Daniel, you ready to go?"

Refusing to meet his eye, Daniel merely nodded.

At Jack's signal, Harriman dialled Oannes and SG1 stepped through.

- - - - -

They were greeted on the other side by Nem. He bowed deeply as they arrived. "Welcome. I have arranged… transportation." He pointed to a small submarine-like vehicle. "I have made all… of the… arrangements."

"Excellent." Jack rubbed his hands. "All aboard."

On the way back to Nem's ship, they spoke about the attempted abduction.

"We ran all the SGC personnel through the logs last night. So far, aside from the blonde, two other SGC members are missing. One of them is a gate guard. We figured he was paid off or otherwise duped into allowing the blonde to pass." Sam explained.

"And the blonde in question?" Daniel asked. "Do we have a name yet?"

"Not yet. She was using the ID of Sergeant Lisa Johannsen. A new transfer to the SGC. No one knew her well enough to catch the difference. We've searched her residence and her files. Impeccable record, empty house. No signs of a struggle."

Jack shook his head. "Nasty. But at least after today one of her main motivations for going after Daniel will be eliminated."

He looked at Daniel, who still declined to comment.

Nem watched with ancient eyes, but did not speak.

- - - - -

Once at Nem's home, SG1 were shown to a waiting room of sorts. Omoroca herself attended them. She had changed from the tattered gown she had been entombed in, to a long, flowing Oannes dress. Myomis was there as well, in a sharply tailored outfit.

"Well, don't you two clean up nicely." Jack grinned.

"I wish to thank you." Omoroca spoke haltingly. "You have saved my family." She bowed to them. Daniel scrambled to his feet.

"Oh, no. We- we're happy to help."

"Well, that and the little mental time-bombs your husband stuck in our heads." Jack smiled as Omoroca looked at him, confused.

Daniel waved him away and spoke in Akkadian, obviously being a lot more diplomatic. Omoroca gave him the same sharp toothed smile that Myomis possessed and curtseyed before leaving them to prepare.

Myomis, meanwhile, still had eyes for Sam. He bowed to her, and in the best traditions of Earth, lightly kissed her hands. Sam blushed at the treatment. "Ah, you know, this isn't me you like. In a few minutes, you'll see."

Myomis smiled.

Nem chose that time to reappear. "I am prepared for the first. Who shall it be?"

"Me!" Sam blurted out, a fraction of a second ahead of Jack and Teal'c. Daniel said nothing.

"Samantha. You shall be first. Come. You may watch… if you like." Nem told the other three.

"I shall." Teal'c said solemnly.

Nem spoke to Myomis in Oannes, and the tall alien bowed again and left as Nem ushered Sam and Teal'c to the machines.

Daniel and Jack spent a number of long minutes in painful silence. Finally, Daniel could stand it no longer.

"Jack…" Daniel looked pained.

Picking up their argument from the spot they had left it on Earth, Jack spoke as if no time had elapsed. "Daniel, this is the right thing to do. Myomis, the real Myomis is alive. This isn't fair to him."

"He has Myomis's memories, his dreams. How much more do you need to really be alive?"

"He is not alive, okay? Daniel, he's a fluke of genetics. He's a ghost."

"Jack!" Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and turned away. "He's alive. He misses his wife. He loves his children. He hates the Goa'uld."

"Dammit, Myomis. You tell him."

"I am not alive, yet I am to convince Daniel of this?" Myomis's voice was amused, quirking Daniel's eyebrows up in a 'oh yeah, dispute _this_ gesture'. Jack grimaced, and looked away. Myomis continued speaking. "He is correct, Daniel." Daniel shook his head. Jack looked away. This loose sharing that the duo had developed could still creep him out. Watching the archaeologist carry out an animated discussion with… himself. Oy.

"Jack. Leave us please. We need to talk."

O'Neill was about to reply when Nem appeared. "I am ready for you." He rasped.

Jack looked up. "Uh, yeah. I'll just leave you… two alone with… you." He ducked his head and fled before things got even more convoluted.

"Daniel." The archaeologist shook with the internal turmoil.

- - - - -

Everyone looked up as Daniel made his way back to his friends.

"Daniel?" Jack took a cautious step forward. He was rewarded with a small nod. Jack had just completed the procedure himself. It was no worse than a dentist's chair to him. A lot of preparing for pain, but no real pain. He was left with a mild headache and a humming noise in one ear.

"Are you… prepared?" Myomis, the 'real' Myomis stepped up. The Oannes received a nod all his own.

Daniel made his way to the chair again. Jack's face tightened up as the younger man sat gingerly down, eyes on his shoes.

"The machine will… suppress the memories of… Myomis." Nem spoke laboriously, placing one clawed hand on Daniel's forehead. "You will be… yourself once more. There will be… pain. I am sorry. I cannot lessen it."

Jack frowned as Daniel nodded again. He wanted to hear Daniel speak. In fact, he was pretty sure that Daniel would have a lot of talking to do after this little jaunt. Daniel sighed and closed his eyes, tilting his head back. Nem secured the colourless straps around Daniel's forehead and jaw again. Daniel spread his fingers and smoothed down the fabric on his thighs.

"We will begin." Nem pushed down on the odd yellow lever that controlled the machine. Daniel flinched. Jack stepped forward a half step, and then halted. The humming increased in tone. Daniel made a low growling noise, pulling against the straps. The humming got louder. Daniel hissed through his teeth and Jack's expression turned to horror.

"Myomis!" He cried out. The alien inside Daniel was in control. What the hell was the memory up to? Jack took a step forward, only to run into Omoroca. The Oannes grabbed him by the upper arm and pinned him. He craned his neck, trying to peer over her shoulder as Daniel cried out. He shoved ineffectually at his captor. "Dammit, let me go. What the hell is that ghost doing to him?"

"Jack." Daniel, really Daniel, groaned. One hand flailed out, seeking contact. "Oh, God. Make him stop." Daniel's back arched and he squirmed in the restraints.

Myomis and Nem looked at each other over Daniel's body. Myomis put a hand on Daniel's arm and spoke softly to him. Daniel tried to shake his head in denial. Myomis nodded rapidly, smoothing his hair back from Daniel's forehead. Myomis and Nem exchanged looks again and Myomis nodded. Nem turned back to the machine and touched the panel again. The humming noise increased. This time, Daniel's eyes scrunched shut and he gave a soft cry. "Jack!"

The colonel faked one way, then the other and quickly got past Omoroca. Myomis gave ground, allowing Jack to take Daniel's hand. As Jack reached up for the restraints around Daniel's head, Nem stepped back in, pushing Jack's hand away.

"No, Jack. He must finish."

"So help me, Nem, if Daniel…"

Nem shook his head, cutting Jack off. "He would not finish. Myomis inside Daniel took control. He made Daniel… come to this chair. Daniel does not want…" The Oannes trailed off, looking away.

"Doesn't want to be alone." Jack finished for him, running his hands through his hair. "Damn it." He stepped close to Daniel, putting his hands on either side of Daniel's face. "Daniel!" He said, trying to catch the other man's attention. Daniel groaned and tilted his head back. "Daniel!" Jack tried again. The archaeologist's eyes opened and he looked blearily at his commanding officer.

"Jack?"

"Hey." Jack grinned. "Let it go, Daniel. You're okay." He got a small shake of the head in return, the restraints tightening around Daniel's forehead. Jack looked up at Nem and then back down. "You are not alone, okay. Carter, Teal'c, Hammond, Fraiser… hell, half the base lives for your power point presentations. Don't make me go back there without you."

Myomis moved over to the head of the bench and touched Daniel's forehead. He summoned every bit of English he had learned on Borsippa and spoke slowly. "I will be within, Daniel, but Myomis-inside-Daniel needs peace. It is what I want. You need your people. I miss mine. Mother… here, father… here."

Jack gripped Daniel's hand again as Daniel gave a small nod and closed his eyes. Nem took that as his cue and increased the power of the machine again. Instead of reacting to the pain, Daniel gave a little sigh and slumped, unconscious.

- - - - -

"Jack?" Daniel blinked and sat up. As he guessed, Jack was seated by his bedside, if a hard plastic slab could be called a 'bed'.

"Hey." Jack stood up and hovered. "How you doing?"

"Someone stuck a spike through my head." He said blearily, attempting to focus.

"Nah, you got the special treatment. I guess you and Myomis were a little too tightly wound to be easily separated. Nem says he's sorry, if that helps." Jack's tone of voice suggested that as far as he was concerned, it had not helped.

Daniel ignored him, turning his thoughts inward, testing his memory. He still had all the memories they had shared but, he tried to 'remember' Myomis and Lamashtu's wedding day, something he hadn't shared before.

Nothing.

"Myomis?" He said out loud, wondering if he would get an answer.

"I am here, Daniel." Daniel clapped a hand over his own mouth and looked at Jack.

"I didn't…" He trailed off as Jack made a little gesture to the side.

Daniel slowly turned to find Myomis, the 'real' Myomis smiling back at him.

"You look much different from this angle, Daniel. From the outside, as it were."

"Myomis?" Daniel frowned. "Well of course you are, but my Myomis?"

"Your reluctance to release me nearly caused some complications. I thought it best to save the memories of the time we had. I had them transferred to my mind."

"So you know?"

"Everything I knew when I was inside you." He shrugged. "As well as everything I knew before. For me, it was not one mind over-writing the other. It was the repairing of a fractured mind. Allowing me my freedom has made me whole."

Daniel looked down. "I feel so selfish now."

Myomis stood. "No. Daniel, it was we who were selfish. My father and I. All the things we put you and your friends through. You could have died." His voice turned soft. "I can never thank you enough for what you have done for us. But, I would like to make you an offer."

"What?" Both Jack and Daniel spoke in unison.

"Stay with us, Daniel."

"Wh- What?" Daniel's jaw dropped open.

"Stay with us. You are like a brother to me. Stay with us. We will search for your mate, repay our debt to you."

"Now, one minute." Jack began.

"Jack, Daniel is your friend, yes. He is now family to us. Allow us to help him."

Jack shut his mouth then. This had to be Daniel's choice. Protecting his mind was one thing, arguing over his happiness was another. If he forced Daniel into a choice, Daniel would only come to resent him later.

Daniel smiled softly, a little wistfully. "You're doing what I did by trying to keep Myomis in my mind. We were both clinging to the family but, I have obligations. I have responsibilities. I can't- I can't stay. Thank you though."

Myomis touched his hand to Daniel's cheek. "We are in your debt."

"Tell you what, give us a ride to the surface and send us on our way, and we'll call it even." Jack turned as the door opened, revealing Carter and Teal'c.

"Hi Daniel."

"Daniel Jackson."

Daniel smiled as he got to his feet. "Hey guys."

"Everything good?" Sam's eyes flickered between Myomis and Daniel.

"Yeah. Bit of a headache. Guys? I think I'd really like to go home."

Jack grinned, an honest to God grin. "SG1, let's head home."

- - - - -

Memorandum Confidential

From: Dr. D. Mackenzie

To: Gen. G. Hammond, SGC

Re: Dr. D. Jackson

General Hammond, please find enclosed my final evaluation of Doctor Jackson. We have concluded our follow-up therapy sessions. It is my professional opinion that Doctor Jackson has recovered well from his experiences with the Oannes technology.

I am uncertain at this time if the symptoms he was expressing were a result of the use of the technology, or if the Oannes machine was simply able to suppress the first signs of a schizoid or dissociative personality. I will be keeping watch in the future for the return of these symptoms. The next occurrence may require more direct intervention.

Dr. Jackson is quite insistent that he is fit and capable, and should be returned to active status as soon as possible. I will continue monitoring his condition very closely for a few weeks, should a relapse occur. At this time, I can see no medical reason to keep him confined to the base. I concur with Doctor Jackson, and recommend that he be allowed to return to the field.

As an aside, I have included a proposal with this evaluation. I would like to set up a study to evaluate the SGC personnel on a regular basis. I am concerned about potential exacerbation of certain medical conditions as a result of gate travel. Studying Doctor Jackson's post-mission chemical profile has led me to speculate that gate travel may have a detrimental effect on the production of dopamine and neural transmitters. This would be a long term, low level study. I am available to discuss any questions you may have.

D. Mackenzie MD, PhD, FACP

- - - - -

_Note: And… we're done. As always, my profound thanks to Pettygrew, without whom I wouldn't have started writing and without whom I wouldn't have finished this._

_A huge round of thanks to all of you who wrote in an enjoyed this and pushed me forward. I really appreciate all you've done. Four hundred pages to finish a story I thought would be told in a tenth of that volume._

_You've probably guessed this by now, but this will be my last SG1 fic. I have enjoyed my time here, but I am ready to move on. I've been working on original stuff now. Who knows where it will go, but I'm going to try it._

_This is the final version of this fic. Those of you who read it in its original form will note that the character of Emma has been removed. I like Em, but she did not fit into this story. I feel more comfortable with this version of it, and I honestly like it better. I hope you have enjoyed this._

_/bow_

_Thank you all for reading this far. I am humbled._

_  
Thel._


End file.
